Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday slammed the Modi government over the renaming of eight railway stations in the Lucknow division of Northern Railways, saying it should instead focus on improving the condition of railway stations and preventing train accidents.
Attacking the Yogi Adityanath government in the state, Yadav said, "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," he said.
Railway stations in the Lucknow division were officially renamed after saints and freedom fighters on Tuesday.
New names of railway stations:
- Kasimpur Halt Railway Station will now be known as Jais City Railway Station
- Jais as Guru Gorakhnath Dham
- Misrauli as Maa Kalikan Dham
- Bani as Swami Paramhans
- Nihalgarh as Maharaja Bijli Pasi Railway Station
- Akbarganj as Maa Ahorwa Bhawani Dham
- Warisganj as Amar Shahid Bhale Sultan
- Fursatganj as Tapeshwarnath Dham
The stations were renamed after a demand was made by former Amethi MP Smriti Irani to preserve the cultural identity and heritage of the place.
Irani made the announcement regarding the change of names on social media in March.
The Kasimpur Halt station was named after Kasimpur village which is quite far away. Therefore, Jais City was proposed as the new name, a senior railway official said.
As prominent Guru Gorakhnath Dham ashram is near the Jais station, it was proposed that the station be renamed after the ashram, he said.
The official said there are several temples of Lord Shiva and Goddess Kali near Mishrauli, Bani, Akbarganj and Fursatganj railway stations and they were renamed accordingly, he said.
The Nihalgarh station is located in an area that has a sizeable population of Pasis who are mostly farmers. Hence, it was renamed after Maharaja Bijli Pasi, a king from the community, the official said.
Warisganj is known for the bravery of Bhale Sultan who fought against the British in 1857 and the station was renamed after him, he said.
(With PTI inputs)
Also read: Uttar Pradesh: Eight railway stations of Lucknow division get new name | Check list here
