UP: SP, Congress Slam Adityanath Govt After ‘Muslim Sounding Names’ Of Wards Changed In Gorakhpur

Mayor Sitaram Jaiswal said new names evoke the feeling of pride adding wards were named after personalities like Ashfaqullah Khan, Shiv Singh Chetri, Baba Gambhir Nath, Madan Mohan Malviya and others.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath (left) Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav (right)

Source : PTI File Photo

New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh’s Opposition Samajwadi Party and Congress slammed the Yogi Adityanath-led government after the Gorakhpur Municipal Corporation issued draft delimitation order to change “Muslim-sounding names” of around a dozen wards in CM Adityanath’s constituency. The changing of names was part of the delimitation exercise, under which the number of wards went up to 80 in Gorakhpur, with several of these named after iconic personalities and freedom fighters, reported news agency PTI.  

Reacting to the development, Samajwadi Party leader and Ismailpur corporator Shadab Ansari termed the changing of name as an attempt at polarisation. He said that his party will hold a meeting on Sunday after and a delegation will meet the district magistrate to raise the objection on Monday. 

Congress leader Talat Azmi said that the name-changing exercise was a waste of money "I fail to understand what the government will achieve through this exercise," the leader asked.

Mayor Sitaram Jaiswal said new names evoke the feeling of pride.

He said wards were named after personalities like Ashfaqullah Khan, Shiv Singh Chetri, Baba Gambhir Nath, Baba Raghavdas, Dr Rajendra Prasad and Madan Mohan Malviya.

As per the PTI report quoting Municipal Commissioner Avinash Singh, objections regarding the exercise can be sent within a week to the additional chief secretary, Urban Development Department, Lucknow.  After the disposal of the objections, the delimitation will be approved, he said.

Miya Bazar, Muftipur, Alinagar, Turkmanpur, Ismailpur, Rassolpur, Humayunpur North, Ghosipurva, Daudpur, Jafra Bazar, Qazipur Khurd and Chaksa Hussain are among the "Muslim-sounding names" that have been changed.

According to the order issued by the civic body, Ilahi Bagh will now be known as Bandhu Singh Nagar, Ismailpur as Sahabganj and Jafra Bazar as Atma Ram Nagar.