BJP Govt in Uttarakhand renames 11 places in four districts

Uttarakhand renames 11 places in 4 districts, Akhilesh Yadav says 'call it UP-2'

Uttarakhand's renaming of 11 places to honour Hindu deities and BJP figures faced sharp opposition, with critics accusing the government of prioritising symbolism over addressing the state's pressing issues.

Places in 12 districts, such as Haridwar, Dehradun, Nainital renamed

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday announced renaming 11 places across Haridwar, Dehradun, Nainital, and Udham Singh Nagar districts in the hill states, sparking a fierce backlash from opposition parties.

The decision, which aims to honour Hindu deities, mythological figures, and prominent BJP and RSS leaders, has drawn sharp criticism from leaders like Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Congress MP Imran Masood, who have accused the government of prioritising symbolic name changes over addressing the state's real issues.  

"The names of various places are being changed in accordance with public sentiment and Indian culture and heritage. They are being named after great men who contributed to Indian culture and its preservation," the Chief Minister said while making the announcement.  

The BJP-led Uttarakhand government has decided that 

Aurangzebpur in Haridwar will be renamed Shivaji Nagar, 

Gajiwali will be changed to Arya Nagar, 

Chandpur to Jyotiba Phule Nagar, 

Mohammadpur Jat to Mohanpur Jat, 

Khanpur to Shri Krishnapur, 

Khanpur Kursali to Ambedkar Nagar, 

Idrishpur to Nandpur and Akbarpur Fajalpur to Vijaynagar.

In Dehradun district, Miyanwala will be changed to Ramjiwala, 

Pirwala to Kesari Nagar, 

Chandpur Khurd to Prithviraj Nagar and 

Abdullapur to Dakshnagar. 

Likewise, Nawabi Road in Nainital district will be renamed Atal Marg and Panchakki-ITI Marg to Guru Golwalkar Marg.

Sultanpur Patti in Udham Singh Nagar district will be changed to Kaushalyapuri.

The decision has sparked considerable political debate. Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav mocked the renaming effort, quipping, "Uttarakhand ka naam bhi Uttar Pradesh-2 kar dijiye" (Why not rename Uttarakhand as Uttar Pradesh-2?).

Notably, Uttarakhand was part of Uttar Pradesh until November 9, 2000. On this date, it was officially carved out as a separate state of India.

Meanwhile, Congress MP Imran Masood also weighed in on the controversy, accusing the ruling BJP of focusing on name changes instead of tackling the state's real problems.