Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government has scrapped a proposal to build a ‘Shivalaya Park’ on the premises of the Gautam Buddha Park in Kanpur, following opposition by Bahujan Samaj Party President Mayawati and Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) MP Chandrashekhar Azad to the proposal and major protests by their supporters.
Mayawati and Azad had been asking the Yogi Adityanath-led government to cancel the proposal, stating that the move would go against secular values and insult the legacies of Gautam Buddha and B.R. Ambedkar. The proposal for the ‘Shivalaya Park’ included installing 12 Jyotirlinga replicas near the Gautam Buddha Park.
Kanpur mayor Pramila Pandey cancelled the proposal Wednesday after the protests escalated from the city to the state. She has now directed officials to identify an alternative site for the ‘Shivalaya Park’.
Reacting to the ‘Shivalaya Park’ proposal, Mayawati earlier registered her strong objection, saying that the religious site of another faith within the Gautam Buddha Park was “highly inappropriate” and risked disturbing social harmony. In a statement on X, Mayawati said the park holds emotional and spiritual value for Buddhists and Ambedkarites, and any changes would undermine its sanctity.
“The government must withdraw this proposal immediately, otherwise it may lead to unrest and hatred among the people,” Mayawati wrote on X, and afterwards, BSP workers staged a protest Tuesday near the Gautam Buddha Park in Kalyanpur.
Azad opposed the plan by writing to the CM, calling the Gautam Buddha Park a symbol of compassion, equality, and fraternity associated with Buddha and Ambedkar and warning that turning it into a religious site would hurt the sentiments of the Bahujan community. Affirming his respect for religious freedom, Chandrashekhar Azad insisted that such projects be developed on separate land to avoid any confrontations.
The ‘Shivalaya Park’ was initially proposed by the Kanpur Municipal Corporation on the Gautam Buddha Park premises, with the Kanpur Development Authority (KDA) subsequently clearing it, and commissioner Sudhir Kumar conducting a site inspection. At the time, officials had told ThePrint that the project—initially proposed at Shatabdi Park in the Rooma area of the district—was later shifted to Gautam Buddha Park.
However, when filing this report, there was no clarity on where the government, which succumbed to the political and public pushback to its initial proposal, would shift the ‘Shivalaya Park’ project.
Buddha Park from the Mayawati period
Mayawati commissioned the development of the Gautam Buddha Park in 1997 during her second CM term, as part of her party’s efforts to strengthen the Bahujan identity, in a move towards social justice.
A few weeks ago, a controversy erupted over reports that the famous Gautam Buddha Park would be renamed ‘Shivalaya Park’.
The Buddhist Army organisation in Etah opposed the move, claiming the government was planning such a change. Led by its state president Kanhaiya Lal Shakya, the group members submitted a memorandum to the sub-district magistrate.
However, the civic corporation later denied having any such proposal to rename the park.
UP BJP’s Scheduled Caste Morcha has been seeking a middle-ground solution since the start of the controversy over the site of the proposed ‘Shivalaya Park’.
Speaking to ThePrint, its chief Ram Chandra Kanaujia said, “There should be a middle-ground solution to this issue. Lord Buddha is a revered figure. We hold equal respect for Lord Shiva, as well. We do not want any confrontation. Officials should consult our community leaders before making a final decision.”
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)