Amidst a row over the 'Atal Bihari Park' being renamed as 'Coconut Park', Bihar Environment Minister Tej Pratap Yadav on Monday shifted the blame on the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), claiming that: "It is named Coconut Park in official papers...Rumour is being spread that the park has been renamed...BJP people must have put up the board (of Atal Park)," news agency ANI reported.
The inauguration of the park to be conducted by the Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on Monday, has been postponed, according to the state's Secretary of the Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bandana Preyashi. "For the time being, we have postponed the inauguration of the said park that was scheduled today. We have also asked the Patna Municipal Corporation to confirm if/when was the park notified as 'Atal Park'," he stated.
Earlier today, Union Minister and BJP MP Nityanand Rai slammed the Bihar government over the development and said that the step is highly 'objectionable' and a 'big offence'. He urged CM Nitish Kumar to not let Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadavi do the said change, adding that Tejashwi will change his (Nitish Kumar) name too.
"The renaming of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Park to Coconut Park in Kankarbagh, Patna is objectionable and a big offence. He is Bharat Ratna. I urge Nitish Kumar to stop Tejashwi Yadav from renaming it," the Union Minister said.
He added: "The government named the part after the former PM, the government got his statue installed here. Atal ji is in the hearts of all Indians and Bihars. People of Bihar will tell Nitish ji what big crime Tejashwi is doing."
"Thing hard Nitish ji, Tejashwi will change your name one day too," Rai further told reporters urging the CM to not let the change take place and stop his deputy and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav from doing so.