Nilanjan
Agra, the city of Taj Mahal, is witnessing a controversy over the name of a metro station near the Jama Masjid. The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has decided to rename the station as Mankameshwar Mandir, after a Hindu temple in the vicinity. This has sparked outrage among the Muslim and Dalit communities, who have been demanding to keep the name as Jama Masjid or BR Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution.
The Jama Masjid, also known as Jami Masjid or Friday Mosque, is one of the largest and oldest mosques in India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in 1648, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The mosque is located near the Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal, and attracts thousands of tourists and devotees every year.
The Agra Metro project, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2017, is expected to be completed by 2024. The project aims to provide a fast and convenient mode of transport for the residents and visitors of Agra. The metro will have two corridors, one from Sikandra to Taj East Gate, and another from Agra Cantt to Kalindi Vihar. The Jama Masjid station falls on the first corridor, and is close to the powerhouse area.
According to media reports, the Agra Metro Rail Corporation (AMRC) had proposed to name the station as Jama Masjid Metro, based on its proximity to the mosque. However, on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, Yogi Adityanath announced that the station would be named as Mankameshwar Mandir Metro, after a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple is said to be one of the oldest in Agra, and is situated on the banks of Yamuna river.
The decision has triggered a backlash from various sections of society, who have accused the BJP government of playing communal politics and hurting the sentiments of minorities. The Bhartiya Muslim Vikas Parishad (BMVP), a Muslim welfare organization, has condemned the move and demanded that the station be named as Jama Masjid Metro. The BMVP chairman Sami Aghai said that no one had asked for the name change, and that it was proposed by AMRC itself. He also said that in Agra, which is known as the dalit capital of India, the station should have been named after BR Ambedkar, who had visited Agra in 1956 and addressed a conference near the powerhouse.
The dalit activists have also expressed their displeasure over the name change, and said that they had been demanding to name the station after Ambedkar for a long time. They said that they had met several BJP leaders, including cabinet minister Baby Rani Maurya and former UP minister GS Dharmesh, and submitted memorandums to them. However, their requests were ignored by the government.
The civil society groups have announced that they will launch a protest against Adityanath’s decision from Friday, and will not allow the construction work of the metro station to continue until their demands are met. They have also appealed to the people of Agra to join them in their fight for justice and equality.
The name change controversy comes at a time when Uttar Pradesh is gearing up for the Lok Sabha elections next year. The opposition parties have slammed the BJP government for indulging in electoral gimmicks and diverting attention from its failures on various fronts. They have also questioned the logic behind naming a metro station after a religious place, instead of a prominent personality or a historical landmark.
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