BJP Member of Parliament and Union minister Raosaheb Danve on Wednesday, December 22, said that there should be no objection to renaming Hyderabad as ‘Bhagyanagar,’ and said other such places, whose original names had been allegedly changed by foreign invaders by hurting the sentiments of Hindus, should also be renamed.
The MoS for Railways was speaking to reporters at a party leader's residence after visiting the RSS headquarters in Nagpur. He also called upon Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat.
Recently, RSS Akhil Bhartiya prachar pramukh Sunil Ambekar had tweeted about holding a coordination meeting of chief functionaries of various organisations inspired by the Sangh's social service in "Bhagyanagar, Telangana," between January 5 to 7.
When asked whether the BJP and its ideological mentor are planning to rename Hyderabad as Bhagyanagar, Danve said, "I feel foreigners who had invaded our country changed the old names (of various places) by hurting the sentiments of Hindus. In independent India, if we change their names again to respect our feelings, I feel there should be no objection in doing that."
The RSS and several BJP leaders have been demanding to rename the Telangana capital as Bhagyanagar. Danve, who is an MP from Jalna in Maharashtra, said they have been demanding renaming Aurangabad city in the Marathwada region as Sambhaji Nagar for a long time.
Telangana BJP leader NV Subash also said on Wednesday that they will change the name of Hyderabad as Bhagyanagar as soon as they come to power in the state in 2023.
“Hyderabad city will be renamed as Bhagyanagar,” he said. “Bhagya is a symbol of culture and development and it is not a communal name,” he argued. He claimed that in 1590, Hyderabad’s name was ‘Bhagamati,’ which was allegedly changed to Hyderabad after invasion of “Muslim leaders.”
Subash said that along with Hyderabad, they will rename Golconda as ‘Gollakonda’ and Hussain Sagar and ‘Vinayak Sagar.’
Subash cited the BJP’s decision to change the names of Faizabad to Ayodhya and Allahabad as Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh after coming to power, and said that these changes will take place in Telangana too. “Majority of the people will appreciate the decision,” Subash claimed.