Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta. (File Photo)The Delhi BJP Thursday asked the AAP-led Delhi government to rename 40 villages with “Mughal-era” names after freedom fighters, artistes, and martyrs including IB staffer Ankit Sharma and constable Ratan Lal who were killed in the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots.
Other names proposed by the state BJP include that of Delhi Police officer Mohan Chand Sharma, who was killed in the Batla House encounter; Captain Vikram Batra who was killed during the Kargil war; Maharishi Valmiki; singers Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammed Rafi; cricketer Yashpal Sharma and athlete Milkha Singh.
“We are sending a proposal to name the villages after them as people want Mughal-era names to be changed,” said Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta.
He said there are 40 villages that have names “associated with the Mughals” and “symbolise slave mentality”. “The 40 villages have names like Jia Sarai, Zamroodpur, Masoodpur, Jafarpur Kalan, Tajpur, Najafgarh, Neb Sarai. Delhi is no longer a sarai (inn). It is the national capital of the country,” said Gupta.
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“The youth of these villages no longer want to carry these symbols of slavery and rather want their villages to be known after great sons of the country and eminent personalities,” he added.
A day earlier while putting up a board demanding to change the name of Mohammadpur village to Madahavpuram, Gupta had demanded that names of Saiyad ul Ajaib, Hauz Khas and Najafgarh should also be changed.
He said the BJP has moved the proposal after consulting panchayats and locals. “We hope the Delhi CM rises above politics and accepts our proposal,” he said.
On Wednesday, plaques declaring Mohammadpur village as Madhavpuram were placed in the said village by local BJP councillor Bhagat Singh Tokas. Gupta had attended the event along with some locals to ‘rename’ the area. The ultimate power to change names rests with the Delhi government.
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