In line with his avowed allegiance to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Panch Pran (five pledges), which include removing vestiges of slavery from the face of India and respecting heritage among others, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has dropped a hint of changing the name of Akbarpur.

Addressing a public meeting at Ghatampur in the Akbarpur Lok Sabha constituency on Wednesday, Yogi voiced his dissent at the name of the city asserting, “Uttering the name of the city leaves a bad taste in mouth. Rest assured all these things will change. We must eradicate all remnants of colonialism from our nation and honor our heritage.”

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The statement indicates that if the Modi Government secures a third term after the Lok Sabha elections, the state administration may propose altering Akbarpur’s name to the central government. This isn’t uncharted territory for the Yogi administration, as similar endeavors have been undertaken in the past. Beyond Akbarpur, numerous districts within the state clamor for name changes, reminiscent of bygone eras of subjugation, including Aligarh, Azamgarh, Shahjahanpur, Ghaziabad, Firozabad, Farrukhabad, and Moradabad.

Consequently, with CM Yogi’s remarks on Akbarpur, the prospects of renaming all such districts have gained traction. He articulated a commitment to rectify historical injustices, stressing the need to transcend the legacies of slavery and honor our heritage.

CM Yogi remarked, “It is necessary to integrate this sector into the mainstream of development and to achieve this every adult needs to take part in the campaign with their vote.”

Since assuming office, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath embarked on a mission to eradicate symbols of historical subjugation. This endeavour has seen numerous roads, parks, intersections, and buildings in the state christened in honour of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. In Lucknow alone, one can traverse Atal Bihari Vajpayee Road, navigate through Atal Chauraha, access the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Conference Centre, cross Atal Setu, and arrive at Atal Bihari Kalyan Mandap.

Additionally, the iconic Mughalsarai railway station, the fourth busiest junction in the country, underwent a name change to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction, a gesture of reverence towards the BJP’s co-founder. Before the 2019 Kumbh Mela, the state government rechristened Allahabad to Prayagraj, a move rooted in reclaiming the city’s historical identity. Saints contend that the original name of this historic locale was Prayagraj, which the Mughals altered to ‘Allahabad’. Concurrently, Faizabad was renamed Ayodhya, and the Jhansi railway station was also renamed after Rani Lakshmi Bai.

Recently, the municipal bodies of Aligarh passed a resolution demanding the city’s renaming to Harigarh, while Firozabad was proposed to be renamed Chandra Nagar. A similar proposal was also made in Mainpuri, where a demand was made to change the district’s name to Mayapuri. Minister of State for Secondary Education Gulab Devi has demanded that the name of her home district, Sambhal, be changed to Prithviraj Nagar or Kalki Nagar.

Former BJP MLA Devmani Dwivedi demands that the Sultanpur district’s name be changed to Kushbhawanpur. This city was founded by Kush, son of Lord Rama. BJP MLA from Deoband assembly seat of Saharanpur, Brajesh Singh, has also demanded that Deoband be changed to Devvrind. Deoband is known for the Islamic seminary Darul Uloom, but it is claimed that the place has been referred to as Devvrind in ancient Hindu scriptures.

Similarly, Alka Rai, former BJP MLA from the Mohammadabad seat of Ghazipur, has demanded that the name of Ghazipur be changed to Gadhipuri.