Delhi BJP leader Hans Raj Hans on Saturday courted controversy suggesting that Jawaharlal Nehru University should be renamed after Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Main kehta hoon iska naam MNU kar do, Modi ji ke naam pe bhi to kuch hona chahiye (JNU should be renamed to MNU, there should be something after Modi Ji’s name too),” Hans said while speaking on the revocation of special status to Jammu and Kashmir. The BJP MP lauded the move to abrogate Article 370, the temporary provision which provided special status to J&K, saying that now Kashmir would actually become a heaven.

The Jawaharlal Nehru University was founded in 1969 and named after India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

On August 5, the Modi government scrapped the provision under which Jammu and Kashmir was provided a special status and bifurcated the state into 2 Union territories – Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The singer-turned-politician hoped that everyone maintains peace in the state. “Dua karo sab aman se rahein, bomb na chale. Hamare buzurgon ne galatiyan ki hain hum bhugat rahe hain. (We should pray that everyone remains peaceful. We are paying for the mistakes made by our ancestors,” Hans was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

The resolution to scrap Article 370 was adopted by the Parliament and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill cleared with two-third majority, fulfilling one of the promise it made in its election manifesto. Curfew and a communication blackdown had been imposed across the region, which was partially eased on Saturday. Security forces still remain deployed, but movement restrictions have been eased in certains parts of Srinagar and Jammu. Landline services were also restored on Saturday. The local administration said that the restrictions had been relaxed in 35 police station areas of Kashmir, and 17 of the 96 telephone exchanges were functional again.