Rechristening of Mughalsarai has encountered a controversy – it should be named after Deen ayal Upadhaya or former prime Minister lal Bahadur Shastri.
While the BJP and its right wing allies want it to be named after one of their intellectual pillars Deen Dayal Upadhay the Congress claims lal Bahadur Shastri to be the more suitable candidate, who was born there in 1904. Deen Dayal Upadhyay died in mysterious circumstances in 1968 at Mughalsarai station.
On June 6 last, Yogi Adityanath cabinet had approved the new name for the Mugalsarai station.
“It cannot be better way than to call the place by Deen Dayal Upadhadya as it would be a tribute to him,” BJP general secretary Vijaya Bahadur Pathak said.
He further said that the Congress and the opposition were opposing it without any substances.” Had the people of the country opposed on naming of thousands of projects on the Nehru- Gandhi family. Then why so objection nowIJ, he questioned.
On the demand that Mugalsarai should be named on lal Bahadur Shastri, the BJP leader said ,” what was Congress doing during the past over 60 years. They had ignored Shastrijee and his family and now when BJP has taken the call, they are shedding crocodile tears.”
However, the UP Congress leaders also have their own reasons for protesting it and demanding that Mugalsarai station to be named on the second PM of the country lal Bahadur Shastri.
“Shastrijee is more renowned secular personality than Pandit Deen Dayal and he has the first right to get Mugalsarai station on his name,” claimed UP Congress spokesperson Amarnath Agarwal.
Similar views were raised by Bharitiya Rail Mazdoor Association, whose general secretary Rajendra Ram also criticised the move of the UP Government.
“Mugalsarai station should be named after Shastrijee, who was born in the railway premises in his grandfather house,” he said.
However as per the history ,Mughal Sarai is the place where Humayun’s army had rested while on its way to battle the army of Sher Shah Suri, in present day Sasaram. But more significantly, in late 19th century onwards, it was the all-important junction between the Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway and the East Indian Railway routes.
The Mughal Sarai railway station was built in 1880, during the heyday of British railway expansions, in India.