'City renaming now non-issue for BJP'

GANDHINAGAR: Though the BJP is in absolute power in the state and now at the Centre, the right wing party has almost buried the idea of changing the name of Ahmedabad to Karnavati, which it pursued for 30 years and promised voters it would carry out. The BJP which uses 'Karnavati' instead of Ahmedabad in it's all communication, including letterpads, dropped the idea of changing Ahmedabad's name to Karnavati on the lines of Bombay to Mumbai, Madras to Chennai, Banglore to Bengaluru etc.
From mayor Meenaxi Patel to city BJP president Rakesh Shah, no one wants to rake up the issue again while the city's elections are just a month away. BJP also dropped the issue from its 2007 assembly election manifesto which it reissued in 2012.
Mayor Meenaxi Patel said: "We will discuss the issue in the next meeting of the party's co-ordination committee and go with the party decision."
Rakesh Shah, city BJP president, to the same question said: "Please ask I K Jadeja (spokesperson) or those who are in preparing the city manifesto. As city president I don't deal with this issue."
Shiv Sena has once again demanded changing Ahmedabad's name to Karnavati. Gujarat Shiv Sena office bearers met Ahmedabad mayor Mee naxi Patel and presented her a memorandum demanding the change of name from Ahmedabad to Karnavati.
Shiv Sena's memorandum said: "The people of Gujarat want to change the name Ahmedabad to Karnavati for years, but the people's emotions have been exploited for political purposes alone. Hindus have been cheated by false promises."
"The Jan Sangh (BJP's predecessor) from the 1980s had been promising to change Ah medabad's name to Karnavati.BJP is in power in the Ahmedabad corporation for 25 years and during this period several major cities' names have been changed -like Bombay to Mumbai, Madras to Chennai, Bangalore to Bengaluru - so why can't Ahmedabad's name be changed. If the Uttar Pradesh government can change name of the cities why can't the BJP government in Gujarat fulfill its three-decade-old promise. Why are the people of Gujarat being cheated every time by putting aside the issue and remember only while elections are around. The Hindus have been cheated for years over the issue of changing Ahmedabad's name. If now the Ahmedabad Corporation and the Gujarat Government will not take up the issue Shiv Sena will take the protest route to fulfill the aspirations of the Hindus," the Shiv Sena memorandum said.