UP government renames Allahabad as Prayagraj

The decision was announced by the Health Minister Siddharht Nath Singh.

The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday officially approved a  resolution to change the name of Allahabad city to Prayagraj, media reports said.

The decision was announced by the Health Minister Siddharht Nath Singh. According to reports, he said that all departments like Railways would be asked to change the name to Prayagraj from Allahabad from today.

Allahabad to be called Prayagraj from today: Uttar Pradesh Minister Siddharth Nath Singh in Lucknow pic.twitter.com/lo021n8rKP
- ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 16, 2018

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during his visit to Allahabad on Saturday had announced that there was a proposal to rename the city as Prayagraj ahead of the 2019 Kumbh Mela.

Slamming the proposed move, Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav Monday attacked the Yogi Adityanath government, stating that the present dispensation wanted to show their work only by "renaming".
In a Twitter post, Yadav said today's rulers were trying to show that they are working by just changing the name of Allahabad. "... They have even re-named Ardh Kumbh to Kumbh. This is toying with tradition and belief," the former UP CM tweeted.

However, reacting to Yadav, Energy Minister and government spokesperson Shrikant Sharma claimed that the belief of people were hurt when the city was named Allahabad.
"Some persons are objecting to renaming Allahabad as Prayagraj. The objections are baseless. It is the right of the government to rename any city. If needed, we will rename more cities and roads. The mistakes done earlier will be rectified," he said.
UP Governor Ram Naik had already supported the demands of the saints and the people of the Sangam city, he had said.
"The government will soon send a proposal to the Centre to change the name of the city," the CM had said.

(With inputs from PTI)

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