The High Court has asked them to explain their decision and why was it undertaken under the UP Organisation Act. It has also asked the government to provide proof of past name changes of districts under this act. The division bench of the court will hear the case on November 13.
Allahabad High Court has summoned CM Yogi Adityanath led Uttar Pradesh government over changing Allahabad’s name to Prayagraj. It has asked them to explain their decision and why was it undertaken under the UP Organisation Act. It has also asked the government to provide proof of past name changes of districts under this act. The division bench of the court will hear the case on November 13.
During an earlier hearing of the Division Bench of the Allahabad HC presided over by Justice AP Shahi and Justice Ajit Kumar, the UP government had said that they had followed all the rules needed to change the holy city’s name. They had argued that they had not changed the name but instead reinstated its historical name which was changed to Allahabad during the Mughal rule. A BJP minister had also said that BJP was rectifying the mistake made by Akbar.
On Oct 26, HC lawyer Sunita Sharma had filed a PIL in the Allahabad HC High Court challenging the government’s notification renaming Allahabad as Prayagraj.
UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Urban Development Minister Suresh Khanna, have been made party in the PIL. The other respondents in the petition include UP chief secretary, advocate general, chairman of the Board of Revenue, chief secretary (revenue), etc.
“In the PIL lawyer Sunita Sharma has contended that renaming Allahabad, which is known as it is for hundreds of years, is neither in the interest of the public of the country nor the UP government. According to the counsel for the petitioner, Vijay Srivastava, other ground taken in the PIL is objection to the declaration of Kumbh, 2019. According to him, it has wrongly been declared as Kumbh. According to the petitioner, the Kumbh has already taken place in 2013, therefore, Ardhkumbh will be held in 2019. Hence, changing the name of such a huge religious gathering is not proper, the plea said,” said a report by the New Indian Express.
According to pleas made by people to the court, it was stated that under section 6 of Revenue Act, 2006, A Tehsil could be renamed by increasing or decreasing the marked area but a districts name could not be changed. A report suggested that Sharma’s PIL could be heard in court on Wednesday.
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