Express News Service
LUCKNOW: The renaming spree has no end in UP. Now the newly-elected Zila panchayats are proposing to change the nameS of their respective districts — Aligarh, Mainpuri, and Firozabad.
Passing a resolution to this effect, Aligarh Zila Panchayat sought to rename Aligarh as Harigarh at a panchayat meeting on Monday. The Zila Panchayat members claimed that it was a long pending demand of the people of Aligarh. The proposal was passed in the first meeting of the panchayat without any opposition with 50 out of 72 members in attendance.
“It was a long pending demand to rename Aligarh as Harigarh. The Zila panchayat approved the proposal unopposed. It would now be forwarded to the state government for approval,” stated Vijay Singh, Zila panchayat chairman for Aligarh.
A proposal was also passed to name the airport of Aligarh after BJP leader Kalyan Singh, informed the Zila panchayat chairman. Kalyan Singh, former UP CM and ex-Governor of Rajasthan hailed from the ‘city of locks.’ Aligarh division comprises Hathras, Etah, and Kasganj districts.
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Similarly, the Zila panchayat of Mainpuri passed the resolution seeking to rename Mainpuri as Mayan Nagar. According to Zila panchayat members, Mayan Nagar is proposed to be named after sage Mayan who founded the present-day Mainpuri.
“One of the Zila panchayat members had moved the proposal for renaming Mainpuri as Mayan Nagar and the proposal was passed with 23 members supporting the motion and two opposing it,” said Archana Bhadoria, Zila panchayat chairperson of Mainpuri.
It was the first meeting of Mainpuri Zila panchayat after its constitution. Located near Isan river, Mainpuri is believed to be a bastion of Samajwadi Party (SP) patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, who has represented it five times in Lok Sabha.
Earlier this month, the Firozabad district panchayat had also passed a resolution demanding that Firozabad be renamed as Chandra Nagar. Locals believed that King Chandrasen lived in Firozabad and because of this it was earlier known as Chandravar Nagar till about 1560 AD.
As per the locals, the city of bangles and glass was renamed Firozabad from Chandravar Nagar when Firoz Shah, an emissary of emperor Akbar, visited the area and the place was renamed after him.
The Firozabad Zila Panchayat members claimed that to rename Firozabad back as Chandra Nagar was being raised time and again.
