Removal of Sampurnanand’s name from stadium slammed

Varanasi: Opposing the renaming of Sampurnanand Sports Stadium as Varanasi Sports Complex, which was formally inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi on Sunday, Congress, Samajwadi Party and groups of the Kayastha fraternity began protests on Monday. They were annoyed by the removal of the name of UP's second chief minister.
The stadium was rejuvenated as a multi-sports complex with all advanced facilities under a Varanasi Smart City project.However, the Varanasi Smart City officials denied making any comment on the issue of renaming, making it clear that they are not concerned with the decision.
UP Congress committee president Ajay Rai strongly condemned the decision to remove Sampurnanand's name from the newly renovated stadium. He described the move as objectionable, shameful and an insult to Kashi's rich heritage and scholarly tradition. This disrespectful act has hurt the people of Kashi, said Rai, adding that those who renamed Gujarat's Sardar Patel Stadium to ‘Narendra Modi Stadium' are crushing the sentiments of people due to being habitual of misusing power.
Recalling Sampurnanand's outstanding contribution in academic and political fields, he said that he was the person who gave Banaras its Vedic name ‘Varanasi'. He urged the PM to acknowledge the mistake of removing Sampurnanand's name and to restore it by respecting the emotions of millions in Kashi. The Congress is not only strongly opposing this unethical act but also planning to turn the protest into a movement, he added.
Meanwhile, in opposition to the removal of Sampurnanand's name from the renovated sports complex, scores of SP leaders and supporters staged a protest at the main gate of Sigra Stadium and submitted a memorandum to the additional district magistrate. Led by SP MLC Ashutosh Sinha, party workers demanded the restoration of the original name, Dr Sampurnanand Stadium, through slogans and demonstrations. Sinha and other party leaders, including Vishnu Sharma, said that the people of Kashi will not accept handing over Sigra Stadium to a private company and changing its name. Paying tributes to the statue of Sampurnanand, they said that the issue would be raised in the legislative council.
People of the Kayastha fraternity associated with Chitragupt Mahasabha Kashi carried out a march from Annapurnanagar to the stadium gate in the evening and staged a sit-in against the stadium's name change with the removal of the name of Sampurnanand. They held the removal of the legendary scholar's name from the stadium's new name as an injustice to their fraternity, mentioning that Kayasthas are well-educated and their thoughts and ideologies have set a direction for the country's progress.
They questioned what the govt intended to show by removing the name of Sampurnanand, who is remembered as a scholar more than a politician. The speakers, including Prasanna Kumar, Shashikant Srivastava, Rajesh Srivastava, Vyomesh Chitravansh, Alok Srivastava, Arvind Srivastava and others, appealed to the PM, chief minister Yogi Adityanath and mayor Ashok Tiwari to retain the name as Sampurnanand in the name of the sports complex.