First, rename your Muslim leaders, Rajbhar tells BJP

LUCKNOW: Targeting BJP over the recent renaming of Allahabad and Faizabad districts, UP cabinet minister and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief Om Prakash Rajbhar on Saturday urged the ruling party to first rename its Muslim leaders Shahnawaz Hussain and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi before setting out to change names of cities and districts.

"Since the government is changing Muslim names, so it should also rename its Muslim leaders Mohsin Raza, who is in UP cabinet, Shahnawaz Hussain and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi. BJP is doing this only to divert attention from real issues like unemployment, poverty etc," Rajbhar said, while adding that Muslims had given the country great pieces of architecture like the Taj Mahal and Red Fort. Speaking to TOI while travelling from Ghaziabad to Lucknow, Rajbhar said that though Mughalsarai station was renamed as Deen Dayal Upadhyay station, it has not helped trains to run on time. "I am travelling by Shramjeevi Express to Lucknow and it is already running late by more than an hour. Has renaming of the station helped improve working," he asked.

The minister said that BJP has failed in fulfilling its poll promises and ensuring development and is resorting to such gimmicks to take away attention from its failures. "Do BJP members have the courage to talk about reservation for OBCs, state of unemployment or condition of primary education in the state? Both Mayawati and Mulayam Singh Yadav also renamed places, so how is BJP any different," he said.

This is not the first time that BJP ally has spoken against government's policies and decisions. His criticism comes in the light of Yogi government's decisions to rename Allahabad and Faizabad districts as Prayagraj and Ayodhya, respectively.