Amit Shah refuses to comment on renaming Hyderabad to Bhagyanagar

Hyderabad: As Hyderabad gears up for the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has amped up efforts to go the Hindutva way to woo voters. Union home minister Amit Shah’s campaign in the city began with a visit to the disputed Bhagyalakshmi temple, which is essentially an encroachment on the Charminar, on Sunday. 

Interestingly, Shah, during a media interacton,  refused to comment on the issue of changing Hyderabad’s name, which was brought up Uttar Pradesh chief minister Ajay Singh Bisht aka Yogi Adityanath, a day earlier.  “I have visited the Bhagyalakshmi Devi temple as part of my personal spirituality and to take the blessing of the goddess. I said what I had to say and visited the temple as a devotee, please do not take it as anything else,” he stated.

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Shah refusing to acknowledge or say anything on the issue is interesting, given his party members form the Telangana unit have also been continuously stating in their public meetings and roadshows that the BJP will rename Hyderabad to Bhagyanagar. On Sunday, Shah held a roadshow at Warisguda and also held a press conference at BJP state office in Nampally.

When asked why BJP has brought in national level leaders, including union ministers, for local level polls at the press conference, Amit Shah replied, “People who feel that this is a ‘galli election’ (referring to KTR’s remark), they have forgotten to clean those gallis (lanes), that is the reason they have a problem with national leaders campaigning.”

Further, Shah also attacked All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief and Hyderabad Lok Sabha MP Asaduddin Owaisi, and asked him to give in writing that Bangladeshis and Rohingyas have to be evicted, and then to “see the central government’s response on it”.

“When I take action, Asaduddin Owaisi creates a ruckus in Parliament in Delhi. Have you not seen how loud he cries? Tell them to give in writing that Bangladeshis and Rohingyas have to be evicted. I will do it. Only talking of it during the election is not sufficient. When the matter of evicting them is discussed in Parliament, who takes their side?” Shah questioned. 

Days earlier, responding to Telangana BJP president Bandi Sanjay’s comments, Owaisi had said that if there are illegal immigrants living in Hyderabad, then it is the failure of the central government and the union home minister. 

Earlier on Saturday, when Yogi Adityanath held a roadshow in Hyderabad, he 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 the BJP came into power in Uttar Pradesh. Then why can’t Hyderabad be renamed as Bhagyanagar?”