Days after the Uttar Pradesh government changed the name of historic Indian city Allahabad to Prayagraj, the Hindu right now wants Muzaffarnagar renamed Laxminagar, Times of India reported on Saturday.
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kapil Agarwal, who hails from the city, asserted that the Mughals had changed the name of Laxminagar to Muzaffarnagar. He said he had approached Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on this account last year.
“It is not a new demand. In 1983, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) sought the name change. It’s no longer the Mughal rule, so why should we keep their legacy here,” Agarwal told the publication.
The Bajrang Dal, which has been using the name Laxminagar in banners and hoardings, has now started organising events in rural areas to ‘raise awareness’.
“The region was called Laxmingar some 2,000 years ago. We have been making efforts for the name change for many years,” Bajrang Dal convener Ankur Rana said.
Ajay Pal Singh, who heads the history department at a local college, said he had no knowledge of the district boasting an ‘ancient name’.