Ramchander Rao (ANI image)
NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has reignited political debate in Telangana by proposing to rename Nizamabad district as Indur if it comes to power in the state.Nizamabad MP Dharmapuri Arvind said names associated with the Nizam era reflect oppression and suffering and should be replaced to reflect cultural pride and nationalist identity.Backing him, Telangana BJP State President Ramchander Rao said, “Our Nizamabad MP has given a statement that if the BJP comes to power, we will change the name of Nizamabad to Indur. The BJP is with him.” Rao added that the proposal is not limited to Nizamabad alone, alleging that several places in Telangana still carry names from the Nizam rule, which he described as marked by atrocities.“These names remind us of that period. That is the reason they need to be changed. Not only Nizamabad, but there are also many cities in Telangana whose names have to be changed,” Rao added. The statements drew sharp criticism from Congress. Former MP and senior leader Hanumanth Rao accused the BJP of unnecessarily creating new issues and attempting to divide the country. Rao alleged that Nizamabad had different names in the distant past and several governments have come to power since Independence, but none changed the city’s name. He warned that such statements could trigger law-and-order problems and cautioned the Telangana government to take note of the issue. Rao said that similar demands could follow for renaming landmarks like Charminar or Osmania University.Hanumanth Rao also accused the BJP of using identity-based politics for electoral gains, stressing that India is home to diverse cultures and religions. “At the time of Independence, people from all religions, castes, and creeds fought together for the nation. India is a secular country and cannot be turned into a Hindu nation,” he said.Rao accused the centre of following identity-based politics for electoral gains. He claimed that while Narendra Modi is Prime Minister, real influence lies with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and asserted that India’s secular character can’t be changed. The renewed push follows earlier demands in Telangana, including calls to rename Hyderabad as Bhagyanagar, first raised by Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath during the 2020 Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections. Yogi had said, “Some people were asking me if Hyderabad can be renamed as Bhagyanagar. I said why not. I told them that we renamed Faizabad as Ayodhya and Allahabad as Prayagraj after BJP came into power in UP. Then why Hyderabad can’t be renamed as Bhagyanagar?”