Welcoming the decision to rename Hoshngabad district as Narmadapuram, Madhya Pradesh medical education minister Vishwas Sarang on Friday demanded that the state capital Bhopal be rechristened as Bhojpal in honour of Raja Bhoj, an 11th century ruler.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that the central government has given its approval to rename Hoshangabad district in the state as Narmadapuram.
Mr Sarang expressed gratitude towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chouhan over renaming Hoshangabad as Narmadapuram and Babai town located in the same district as Makhan Nagar (after noted Hindi poet and journalist Makhanlal Chaturvedi).
“I have been demanding for long to change the name of Bhopal to Bhojpal. I have also raised this demand in the state assembly and now I will write a letter to the chief minister on the issue,” Mr Sarang said in a statement.
Mr Sarang said the idea behind changing names of some towns and villages is to delink them from their colonial past.
The Narmada river is the lifeline of the state and to change the name of Hoshangabad situated on its banks to Narmadapuram is a welcome step, the BJP leader said.
“Though the Congress calls this (name change exercise) as saffron agenda, we don't mind it. It is a matter of happiness that Babai will be known as Makhan Nagar as it is an expression of gratitude towards patriots," he said.
In the statement, Mr Sarang also announced to rename Shivpuri town in Tikamgarh district as Kundeshwar Dham in honour of Baba Kundeshwar, a revered religious figure in the state, as demanded by local residents.
The demand to change names of various cities and places gained momentum after the Centre agreed to the state government's request to rename Habibganj railway station in Bhopal as Rani Kamalapati station after the famous Gond queen last year. The Prime Minister had inaugurated the renamed railway station, redeveloped with airport-like amenities, in November 2021.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Couple Threatened And Extorted, Woman Molested At Madhya Pradesh Picnic Spot Woman Dies After 'Dupatta' Gets Caught In Machine At Food Centre Of Mahakaleshwar Temple 52 kg Gold, Rs 10 Crore Cash Found In Abandoned Innova In Bhopal Jungle Pics: Rahul Gandhi's Family Lunch At Iconic Delhi Restaurant Is Safe Car Enough? Volvo Crash That Killed CEO, Family Sparks Big Question "Nothing Short Of Nightmare": Woman Misses Life Event, Slams Air India Public Sector Hydropower Company Hiring For 118 Posts, Check Details Delhi's Air Quality Turns 'Severe' Despite GRAP-4 Restrictions PM Modi Meets Yoga Practitioner, Other Influencers In Kuwait Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.