Oppn Accuses BJP of 'Petty Politics' After CM Adityanath Renames Agra Museum

Taking a dig at the Yogi Adityanath-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, Samajwadi Party claimed that the CM has been busy changing names instead of focusing on development work for the past three years of governance.

SP attacked the incumbent government after Adityanath on Monday gave his approval to change the name of an under-construction museum dedicated to the Mughal empire in Agra after Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

“I would like to ask BJP, during the past three and a half years of governance in Uttar Pradesh, how much work have you done? Or will people continue your name changing spree. BJP just knows the politics of caste and religion and has done zero development in the state. They can’t name even one hospital, university or employment that they have given to people,” Samajwadi Party Spokesperson Anurag Bhadauria said.

“The BJP might use the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji for its petty politics but it cannot walk on the footsteps of the great Chhatrapati Shivaji. His legacy was taken forward by the Congress. The mother group of BJP which is RSS is known for helping the Britishers and their heroes like Savarkar apologised from Britishers who also tried to weaken the fight for freedom by bringing in the communal angle. Nationalism is certainly not the cup of tea for BJP, they are indulging in petty politics of changing names,” said UP Congress Spokesperson Anshu Awasthi.

Meanwhile, BJP Spokesperson Manish Shukla congratulated CM Yogi Adityanath on the move and said, “Shiva Ji was the first person to think in the direction of freeing Indian land from the hands of foreign invaders, his name is the synonym of Nationalism.”

While renaming the museum’s name on Monday, CM Adityanath said, “there is a need to promote subjects which are the pride of the nation, except for the symbols of the mentality of slavery. The Mughals cannot be our role models. Ideas of nationalism need to be encouraged. Shivaji Maharaj is our hero.”

The museum which is being built on the eastern gate of the Taj Mahal at the cost of Rs 140 crore will showcase artefacts and documents related to Shivaji along with the history of the Mughal rule in India. The state government is also planning to build a center dedicated to zardozi and marble inlay art in the museum.