BJP MLA from Najafgarh, Neelam Pahalwan on Thursday submitted a proposal in the Delhi Assembly to rename the constituency to Nahargarh, claiming that the original name of the area lying in south west Delhi was altered by the Mughals.

Meanwhile, R K Puram MLA Anil Sharma also submitted a proposal in the Assembly to rename Mohammadpur to Madhavpur.

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Speaking in the assembly on the third of the first session of the eighth assembly, Phalwan said, “Najafgarh faced many challenges under the Mughal rule, especially during Shah Alam-II’s time. During the revolt of 1857, Raja Nahar Singh fought and invaded the Najafgarh region in Delhi’s territory. We have been trying for a long time to change the name from Najafgarh to Nahargarh. The people of the constituency have high hopes that this assembly will support our efforts to change the name.”

The proposal got traction after several BJP MLAs hailed Pahalwan’s claims.

“Najafgarh’s name and the fort built there came after the 1857 revolt, where the army later stayed. The residents of Najafgarh played a crucial role in the 1857 rebellion. So, I fully support this and believe that it should be done,” BJP MLA Kailash Gahlot told a news agency.

Notably, Nahar Singh, the King of Ballabgarh, Haryana was 32-years-old when he threw his small army into the fray against the British during the 1857 revolt. Refusing an offer to save him by acknowledging British supremacy, he was hanged in Chandni Chowk on January 9, 1858 and his estate was forfeited.

Subsequently, the colonial government sentenced him to be hanged and further to forfeit all his property.

Earlier, Mustafabad MLA and senior BJP leader Mohan Singh Bisht had declared that he would propose renaming the constituency as either ‘Shiv Puri’ or ‘Shiv Vihar’ once he formally assumed office.

The first session of the eighth Delhi Assembly is presently underway after the BJP’s decisive victory in the February 5 elections, which ended AAP’s over-a-decade-long rule.

The BJP secured 48 out of 70 seats, while the AAP was reduced to 22. The Congress drew a blank.