HC reserves verdict in PIL challenging renaming of Allahabad as Prayagraj

The Allahabad High Court on Thursday reserved its judgment in a PIL challenging renaming of Allahabad as Prayagraj.

Having heard counsels appearing for petitioners, Allahabad Heritage Society and twelve others and state counsel at length, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Govind Mathur and Justice Dr YK Srivastava reserved its judgment.

In the PIL, the petitioners had taken the plea that changing of name from Allahabad to Prayagraj was done by the state government in order to appease a particular community for political gains. According to petitioners, the name change would amount to politicisation of religion. Secondly the petitioners had challenged the notification dated October 18, 2018 by which the name was changed on the ground that as per rules a public notice was required to be issued inviting objections from public and also a committee was required to be constituted to decide objections which was not done.

However, the PILs were opposed by the state government on the ground that changing of name was well within the powers of the state government and due procedure was followed while changing the name of Allahabad to Prayagraj. Since there is no change in the area of the Allahabad district, therefore, there was no need of setting up of a committee and to invite objections. Earlier, the court had on November 30, 2018 directed the advocate general of the state to make available original notings of proceedings and also the record of proceedings that ultimately resulted into publication of the notification dated October 18, 2018 by which the name of Allahabad district was changed as Prayagraj.

On Thursday, following the direction of the court, the additional advocate general produced the records of proceedings of name change before the court, which the court perused thoroughly. The Governor of the state had issued a notification dated October 18, 2018 changing the name of Allahabad to Prayagraj by invoking the powers under sub-section (2) of section 6 of the Uttar Pradesh Revenue Code 2006.

First Published: Dec 07, 2018 14:23 IST