Amethi's 'Jais' renamed: 8 stations' name change sparks row
The Northern Railways (NR) has renamed Jais station in Uttar Pradesh's Amethi district to Guru Gorakhnath Dham. This decision is part of a larger initiative by the NR to rename eight stations in the state, primarily after saints and freedom fighters. The move has been met with criticism from various quarters, with some labeling it as "politically motivated."
Other stations renamed in Uttar Pradesh
Apart from Jais, seven other railway stations under the Lucknow division of NR have undergone name changes. Kasimpur Halt Railway Station is now Jais City Railway Station, Misrauli has been renamed Maa Kalikan Dham, and Bani is now known as Swami Paramhans. Nihalgarh Railway Station has been changed to Maharaja Bijli Pasi Railway Station, Akbarganj to Maa Ahorwa Bhawani Dham, PP Warisganj to Amar Shahid Bhale Sultan and Fursatganj to Tapeshwarnath Dham.
Samajwadi Party criticizes station renaming decision
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government's decision to rename these stations has been criticized by Samajwadi Party (SP) Chief Akhilesh Yadav. He argued that the government should prioritize improving station conditions and preventing train accidents over changing names. "The BJP government is requested to also change the condition of railway stations along with the names," Yadav said, adding, "And when you are done with changing the names, think about preventing record breaking rail-accidents."
Observers label station renaming as 'politically motivated'
The station renaming move has also been labeled as "politically motivated" by political observers and social media users in Uttar Pradesh. Shashikant Pandey, head of the Department of Political Science at Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, noted that this is not the first time the BJP government has changed names of stations or cities. He cited previous examples such as Mughalsarai city and railway junction being renamed after BJP ideologue Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyay and Allahabad's change to Prayagraj.
