HYDERABAD, INDIA (The Thursday Times) — The Indian state of Uttar Pradesh’s chief minister Yogi Adityanath, while campaigning in Hyderabad for the upcoming Telangana assembly elections, announced the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) intention to rename Hyderabad to ‘Bhagyanagar’ if they are elected to power in Telangana. This statement was made during a roadshow on November 25, 2023.
Adityanath criticised the 4 percent Muslim reservation policy by the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government in the state, calling it unconstitutional. He emphasised, “The Congress created Hyderabad. The BRS government here doesn’t let you celebrate September 17, something that would happen when BJP would come to power. We have come to create Bhagyanagar.”
Highlighting a significant historical event, Adityanath referred to September 17, 1948, when Hyderabad merged with the Indian Union, and underscored the BJP’s commitment to commemorating this day. He connected this to the proposed renaming, stating, “Goddess Bhagyalaxmi is here and we (BJP) would name the city after her and this would also be our gift to all the Ram Bhakts in Telangana.”
Adityanath’s advocacy for renaming cities is not new; his government in Uttar Pradesh has renamed several cities, such as Allahabad to Prayagraj and Faizabad to Ayodhya. He also mentioned proposals to rename Aligarh, Mainpuri, Firozabad, and Mirzapur.
In another rally at Kumuram Bheem in Asifabad district, Adityanath reiterated his stance against the Muslim quota, stating, “This Muslim reservation is unconstitutional and it should not be allowed to be implemented at any cost… a dirty game of appeasement is underway.” He argued that such policies insult the Constitution and deprive Dalits and backward castes of their rights.
Accusing the KCR government in Telangana of failing its citizens, Adityanath coined the term “Bhrashtachari Rishwatkhori Samithi” for the ruling BRS, criticising their lack of progress in employment, water provision, and state development.
Throughout his campaign, Adityanath received enthusiastic responses, especially when addressing the crowds in Telugu. He targeted BRS, Congress, and AIMIM, accusing them of playing with the sentiments of the people.
Echoing Adityanath’s sentiments, Union Minister and Telangana BJP President G Kishan Reddy confirmed the party’s commitment to renaming Hyderabad as ‘Bhagyanagar’, drawing parallels with past city name changes like Madras to Chennai, Bombay to Mumbai, and Calcutta to Kolkata. Reddy stated, “Yes. Definitely, if the BJP government comes to power, (we) will change the name of Hyderabad. I am asking, who is Hyder? Where did he come from?”
