Uttar Pradesh: Eight railway stations in Lucknow Renamed

On Tuesday, Eight railway stations in the Lucknow division of Northern Railways were formally renamed after saints and freedom fighters .

The stations had been renamed in response to a request made by Smriti Irani, a former member of parliament representing Amethi, to maintain the area's cultural character and legacy. Irani took to social media in March to announce the name change.

Lucknow Station Renamed

The opposition criticised the plan, arguing that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) needed to concentrate on enhancing train disaster prevention and railway station maintenance.

Lucknow Stations That Are Renamed Include:

Kasimpur Halt Railway Station as Jais City Railway Station,
Jais as Guru Gorakhnath Dham,
Nihalgarh Railway Station to Maharaja Bijli Pasi Railway Station,
Misrauli as Maa Kalikan Dham,
Bani as Swami Paramhans,
Akbarganj to Maa Ahorwa Bhawani Dham,
Warisganj to Amar Shahid Bhale Sultan, and
Fursatganj to Tapeshwarnath Dham.

Akhilesh Yadav slams BJP

Akhilesh Yadav, the leader of the Samajwadi Party (SP), slamed the BJP government for the renaming initiative, arguing that it ought to be concentrating on enhancing train disaster prevention and station maintenance instead.

Akhilesh Yadav attacked the Uttar Pradesh government led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath saying "The BJP government is requested to also change the condition of railway stations along with the names.And when you are done with changing the names, think about preventing record-breaking rail accidents”.

What did the Railways say on Renaming?

A senior railway official justified the renaming of the station by stating that the Kasimpur Halt station was named after the settlement of Kasimpur, which is located quite a distance away. Jais City was therefore suggested as the new name. It was suggested that the Jais station be renamed after the well-known Guru Gorakhnath Dham Ashram because it is located close to the station, he said.

Lucknow station Renamed

The official claimed that various temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and Goddess Kali have been renamed in honour of them, and they are located close to the railway stations at Mishrauli, Bani, Akbarganj, and Fursatganj.

There is a sizable Parsis population in the vicinity of the Nihalgarh station, most of whom are farmers. As a result, the official stated, it was renamed in honour of the community's king, Maharaja Bijli Pasi.

He said that Warisganj was renamed in honour of Bhale Sultan, who is renowned for his valour in fighting the British in 1857.

Inputs by Agencies

Image Source: Multiple Agencies