Amethi/Lucknow, July 2 (ANI): Congress party lawmakers on Thursday criticized a move by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati to create a new district out of the Amethi constituency, and renaming it Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Nagar.
"We will think about it, but in our opinion, Amethi residents want to retain Amethi as the name, no other name. And, if it is forced upon them then we might hold a protest against it. Amethi is a very old name, and, we only accept that," said Sanjay Singh, a Congress legislator.
"With regards to Amethi, not only in India, but worldwide, Amethi is well known by its name. After upgrading it to a district, if they had to rename it, then they should have given it the name of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, who had represented this constituency," said Pramod Tiwari, a senior Congress lawmaker.
The new district, named after a social reformer, Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj, is spread over 3,070 kilometers and would be the 72nd district of the state.
Mayawati had decided to make Amethi a district in 2003, but the idea was scrapped when Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav became the state's chief minister.
The decision was later challenged in the Allahabad High Court, which, in March 2010, directed the state government to take a decision within three months.
With the census underway, the decision to rename the district was taken within the stipulated deadline of the court.
Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj will have five constituencies - Amethi, Gauriganj, Musafirkhana of Sultanpur district, and Salon and Tiloi of Rae Bareli district. (ANI)
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