Uttar Pradesh: A resolution to rename the city as “Harigarh” is passed by the Aligarh Civic Body
On Monday, the Aligarh municipal council approved a motion to rename the city as “Harigarh.”
The news coincides with the renaming of various locations in Uttar Pradesh by the Yogi Adityanath-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. For example, Allahabad is now known as Prayagraj, along with Faizabad and Ayodhya.
The motion was filed by BJP Corporator Sanjay Pandit, and it was approved on Monday, according to PTI.
The Uttar Pradesh government has now received the resolution. In accordance with current conventions, before renaming a location, the state administration must submit these ideas to the Union government and get their permission.
A similar resolution was also approved by the District Panchayat in Aligarh in 2021, according to PTI.
The right-wing Hindu group Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has also campaigned in 2015 for the use of Aligarh’s ancient name, “Harigarh.” According to earlier reports from PTI, BJP former chief minister Kalyan Singh attempted to rename the state in 1992 but was unsuccessful since the Congress administration was in power at the time. Following his resignation, Singh stepped down as CM of Uttar Pradesh, and the BJP administration was overthrown.
The district of Aligarh’s official website states that the city was once known by a number of names, including Kol/Koil, Sabzabad, Muhammadgarh, Sabitgarh, Ramgarh, and ultimately Aligarh.
