Days after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath proposed renaming Allahabad, the state cabinet today approved a proposal to rechristen Allahabad as ‘Prayagraj’. According to a report in The Indian Express, Cabinet minister Siddhartha Nath Singh said that a proposal for renaming the city was tabled during the Cabinet meet and it was cleared.

“The renaming of Allahabad as Prayagraj before Kumbh Mela came for approval in the meeting and I am happy to say Allahabad will now be known as Prayagraj,” he told reporters after the meeting.

Nath said that people of Allahabad, the sages and seers also wanted that it should be known as Prayagraj. “All the sages and seers had given their unanimous approval for the same,” he added.

CM Adityanath had on Saturday chaired a meet in Allahabad to review the preparedness for the Kumbh Mela next year. It was there that he had proposed renaming the city if a broad consensus is reached on the topic.

An RSS connection?

Although the city gave India its first Prime Minister in the form of Jawaharlal Nehru, the connection between RSS and Allahabad is very old. According to a report in The Indian Express, though the RSS has seen only one pracharak, Rajendra Singh or Rajju Bhaiya, from this Congress bastion in its long history, renaming Allahabad was always on its list of things to do. As per the report, the decision taken by the BJP in this direction has come as an incentive for the RSS that will surely benefit the right-wing outfit in growing its footprint in the region.

During the early 90s, the RSS and two organisations linked to it – BJP and VHP, both headed by people from Allahabad. Rajju Bhaiya, the fourth Sarsanghchalak, was a professor at the University of Allahabad before he became a pracharak. He served as the head of the RSS between 1992 and 2000. He was also the first non-Maharashtriyan and non-Brahmin to head the RSS.

Besides, Murli Manohar Joshi and Ashok Singhal who were heading the BJP and VHP, respectively, were also from Allahabad. Joshi who had also served a professor at the University of Allahabad and still lives in the city. The Mahavir Bhavan of Singhal, that has for decades been a centre of the RSS’ activities, stands close to Anand Bhavan, a historic house museum dedicated to the Nehru family.

What more from Yogi?

The renaming of Allahabad comes just a few months before the country goes to polls. While the BJP has welcomed the decision, the opposition has termed the decision a communal one. Opposition parties have alleged that the government’s decision was a part of the BJP’s plan to polarise voters ahead of the elections.

Apart from just renaming the city, CM Adityanath has planned a series of events around the time of Ardh Kumbh that will begin on January 15 next year and culminate on March 4.

Following the Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas in Varanasi on January 21-23, the government has planned a visit of all delegates to Allahabad on January 24-25 where they will visit the Kumbh Mela. Thereafter, they will be taken to New Delhi to witness the Republic Day parade.

Before that, on December 9, Matri Shakti Kumbh will be celebrated. On December 23, Kumbh of Youth will be organised in Lucknow and Paryavaran Kumbh in Varanasi. Also, events will be organised in Faizabad and finally there will Sarva Samaveshi Sanskriti Kumbh in Allahabad on January 30.