"No Question Of Renaming Bakhtiyarpur": Nitish Kumar On BJP MLA's Demand

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday slammed BJP MLA Hari Bhushan Thakur Bachol for demanding renaming of Bakhtiyarpur, a city located about 50 km from state capital Patna.

"It is sheer nonsense. Bakhtiyarpur is my birthplace, who will change its name? People keep talking such nonsense about Bakhtiyarpur. That was the reason that Nalanda University in late 12th century went from our control," said Mr Kumar after winding up his public interaction program "Janata Ke Darbaar Mein Mukhyamantri".

He made the remark in reply to a question from journalists who sought his views on the BJP MLA's demand to rename Bakhtiyarpur as "Nitish Nagar".

Mr Bachol recently told media-persons in Patna that Bakhtiyarpur should be renamed as "Nitish Nagar".

"Since Bakhtiyarpur is the birth place of the Chief Minister, it must be renamed as Nitish Nagar. Bakhtiyarpur is named after Bakhtiyar Khilji - the military general of Qutb-ud-Din-Aibak - who destroyed the famed Nalanda University. Khilji was a robber, therefore, name of the city must be changed," said the BJP MLA.

"There is no question of changing the name, it's all nonsense. A man born in the same Bakhtiyarpur is here, who is building Nalanda university," said the Chief Minister.

It may be recalled that earlier Union Minister Giriraj Singh also demanded renaming of Bakhtiyarpur.

Giriraj Singh demanded that Bakhtiyarpur and other towns and cities in Bihar named after Muslim invaders be rechristened, as is being done in the neighbouring Uttar Pradesh. Giriraj Singh is a Lok Sabha member from Bihar's Nawada constituency, representing the BJP.

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