Bareilly (UP), Aug 16 (PTI) Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Uma Bharti on Saturday called for the renaming of the Shahjahanpur district, saying that its name is a “symbol of slavery”.
The veteran BJP leader was in Aonla to unveil a statue of freedom fighter Rani Avantibai Lodhi. “I was on my way here and came across a district named Shahjahanpur. The name doesn’t feel right. I urge Yogi ji (UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath) to propose a new name for it,” she said, adding that she does not want to hear this name again.
She also spoke about the Ram temple movement, saying that the Babri structure was an “issue of national insult” and that its demolition and the subsequent construction of the temple had restored national pride.
She lauded former UP CM Kalyan Singh, calling him a “lion” who protected Ram devotees. On the temple sites in Mathura and Varanasi, she said, “We have been asked to provide evidence for the birthplace of our deities, while the Vatican City is the main religious site for Christians around the world,” adding that Hindus would abide by the court’s orders.
During the event, several leaders, including Bharti, praised the Lodhi community for its contributions to the BJP’s growth.
Union Minister B L Verma also paid tribute to Rani Avantibai, accusing historians of doing her an injustice. He announced that one of the new PAC women’s battalions in UP would be named after her. Other speakers, including UP Cabinet Minister Dharmpal Singh and MP Sakshi Maharaj, also took the stage.
Dharmpal Singh took a jibe at Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav’s ‘PDA’ (pichda, Dalit, alpsankhyak) alliance, calling it “Parivar Development Authority” and accused the SP of protecting criminals. PTI COR CDN MNK MNK
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.