Janata Dal (United) dares Union Minister Giriraj Singh

Patna: Janata Dal (United) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal on Monday slammed BJP leader and Union Minister Giriraj Singh for demanding to rename of Bakhtiyarpur in Patna district. JD(U) is ruling Bihar in alliance with the BJP.

Giriraj has demanded that Bakhtiyarpur and other towns and cities in Bihar named after Muslim invaders be rechristened, as is being done in the neighbouring Uttar Pradesh.

The BJP government in Uttar Pradesh, led by Yogi Adityanath, has renamed the Mughalsarai Railway Junction as Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Junction, and recently changed the name of Allahabad city to Prayagraj. Bakhtiyarpur is ostensibly named after Bakhtiyar Khilji - the military general of Qutb-and-Aibak - who destroyed the famed Nalanda University in late 12 century. JD(U) spokesperson Sanjay Singh said: “There is no question of change of name of any district or town in Bihar.” Sanjay Singh, considered close to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, dared Giriraj to change the name of Bakhtiyarpur. (IANS)