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Patna: Known for controversial remarks, Union Minister and senior BJP leader Giriraj Singh has again sparked controversy after he sought to rename Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's hometown Bakhtiyarpur alleging that it was named after Bakhtiyar Khilji. Bakhtiyar Khilji was an Afghan military general who had invaded India and is said to have conquered the region nine centuries ago.
On October 22, Giriraj said that the name of this town in Bihar should be changed as it associates with the Afghan invader.
Bakhtiyarpur is situated on the outskirts of Patna and is the place where Bihar CM Nitish Kumar was born and spent his childhood.
The town is believed to have been named after Bakhityar Khilji, who is said to have invaded Bihar upon the direction of the then Sultan of Delhi Qutbuddin Aibak.
However, Giriraj Singh's comment was contradicted by Nitish Kumar's party JD(U) which is an ally of the BJP in Bihar. Opposition parties like the Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) and the Hindustani Awam Morcha were also unanimous in their disapproval of Singh's comment.
Singh also said that the name of Akbarpur in his Lok Sabha constituency of Nawada, which is believed to be named after Mughal emperor Akbar should also be changed. However, the minister did not suggest alternative names for these places.
“I hail Yogi Adityanath for renaming Allahabad as Prayagraj. If somebody captures your house while you are down then there is no reason why you should not reclaim it once you gain some strength. There are hundreds of such places across the country, including in Bihar which needs to be changed. Bakhtiyarpur is a case in point,” said Singh.
The Union minister, whose utterances over issues like Ayodhya and rise in Muslim population have stirred controversy in the past, was responding to queries about the Uttar Pradesh government's decision to change the name of the historic city of Allahabad.
The Union minister's demand for change of name of Bakhtiyarpur drew flak from ally JD(U). JD(U) spokesman Sanjay Singh expressed strong displeasure over the BJP leader's remarks, calling him a darling of the media who loves to keep issuing controversial statements to remain in news.
Before speaking about Bakthiyarpur, he should have gained some knowledge about the history of the place, he said. Giriraj Singh's statement was also mocked by RJD spokesman and MLA Bhai Virendra, who said can he rename his parents.
“He needs to remember the country belongs to both Rama and Rahim. Attempts to polarise voters in the name of Mughals and invaders would not succeed,” said Virendra.
Former Bihar Chief Minister and HAM president Jitan Ram Manjhi, who was with the NDA till a few months ago, also disapproved of Giriraj Singh’s statement. He charged that the BJP government at the Centre has been a failure and was trying to deflect public attention by making provocative statements.