Congress opposes CM Adityanath's plan to rename Allahabad
On Sunday, the Congress voiced strong opposition to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's plans of renaming Allahabad to Prayagraj. Adityanath, during his visit to Allahabad on Saturday, announced that the city would be renamed soon, and that the governor's permission for doing the same had been obtained. However, a definitive date has not been fixed yet. Here are the details.
Congress says renaming Allahabad would destroy its historic identity
On Sunday, Congress spokesperson Onkar Singh voiced the party's objections to renaming Allahabad. Singh said that Allahabad had played a major role in the run up to, and after India's independence, and in that sense, had a unique identity steeped in history. Renaming the city would effectively destroy this identity and the history associated with it, added Singh.
Allahabad is a city steeped in history
"During Gandhi-era and fight for independence, Allahabad has been a centre for inspiration. In 1888, 1892 and then in 1910, Congress Mahaadhiveshans took place here, which gave shape to the freedom movement. The city gave the country its first Prime Minister," said Singh.
The BJP has congratulated Adityanath for his initiative
On the other hand, the BJP welcomed Adityanath's proposed move. BJP spokesperson Manoj Mishra said that the announcement to rename Allahabad was made "keeping in mind the sentiments of lakhs and crores of people of the state". The saffron party also congratulated Adityanath for his initiative to remove "Akbar ki Nishani" and restore the city's age-old identity.
