Hyderabad: A recent advertisement placed by a local BRS MLA in the Telugu daily ‘Namaste Telangana’ has ignited a debate over the renaming of cities and districts with Muslim names in Telangana. The advertisement prominently features the state minister and BRS working president KTR, along with details of development programs and public meetings.
The controversy arises from the inclusion of the name “Induru” alongside Nizamabad in the advertisement, leading to questions about the BRS party’s stance on the issue. This move comes after the BJP’s repeated demands for changing the names of cities and districts associated with Muslim names in Telangana. The BJP had also announced its intention to rename such places if it comes into power.
According to Miskeen Ahmed, a resident of Nizamabad, KTR opposes changing the names of places associated with Muslim heritage, while the local BRS MLA’s advertisement appears to indirectly support the renaming of Nizamabad. This has raised questions about the BRS party’s consistency in its stance on the issue.
KTR, who has vehemently opposed the BJP’s approach to changing city names for political gain, had previously criticized the BJP’s tactics of inciting religious sentiments for their agenda. He had also suggested renaming Ahmedabad as a response to the BJP’s demand.
The controversy deepened as an article within the same newspaper referred to the IT Tower project in “Induru” instead of Nizamabad.
BJP MP D Arvind, representing the Nizamabad Lok Sabha constituency, has been advocating for the renaming of Nizamabad as “Induru” for several years. His stance has stirred debates, and his party meetings and press conferences rarely include the name Nizamabad.
It remains to be seen how KTR, who has expressed strong opposition to the name change agenda, will respond to these developments. The controversy has sparked discussions about the implications of renaming places and the role of political parties in such decisions.
