Will ask state govt to change names of 40 villages in city: Delhi BJP chief

The list of 40 villages includes Humayunpur, Yusuf Sarai, Masoodpur, Zamrudpur, Begumpur, Fatehpur Beri, Hauz Khas, Sheikh Sarai, said BJP members.

State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Adesh Gupta on Saturday said his party will send to the Delhi government a proposal to change the names of 40 villages in the Capital, including Hauz Khas, Begumpur and Masoodpur, among others, arguing that these are “symbols of slavery”.

Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta said his party will send the Union territory government a name change proposal for 40 villages, including Hauz Khas. (HT File Photo)

The list of 40 villages includes Humayunpur, Yusuf Sarai, Masoodpur, Zamrudpur, Begumpur, Fatehpur Beri, Hauz Khas, Sheikh Sarai, said BJP members.

The move comes days after Gupta wrote to the mayors of the South and East Delhi corporations, asking them to identify and demolish “illegal encroachments” in their jurisdictions, a request that itself came a day after an anti-encroachment drive was carried out in violence-hit Jahangipuri on Wednesday.

Gupta said, “We are getting lots of requests from these villages to change their names. We will write to the mayors and commissioners of the corporations to send a proposal to change the names of these villages, as these names are a symbol of slavery. I have also asked the councillors to forward the requests of residents of these villages to the Delhi government.”

The spokesperson added, “It seems the BJP does not want the government to function as per due process. It also seems the party is just looking for opportunities to start their hooliganism.”

All proposals for naming and renaming are sent to the state naming authority for approval.

Meanwhile, Gupta claimed the AAP was trying to “please a particular community”, which is why it has been “sitting over the South Delhi Municipal Corporation’s resolution” to change the name of Mohammadpur village to Madhavpuram for months now.

Gupta said the resolution was sent to the Delhi government’s urban development department on December 9 last year.

The demolitions in Jahangirpuri, by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation, took place after Gupta wrote to the mayor and commissioner, asking them to identify and demolish “illegal encroachments and constructions” of those accused of violence in the area on April 16. The Supreme Court on Thursday restrained the corporation from carrying out any demolition drive in Jahangirpuri until its further orders.