Confusion over whether the new name for Allahabad has already taken effect The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet on Tuesday adopted the proposal to rename the historical city of Allahabad as Prayagraj, a move opposed by the Opposition parties in the State. The State government said it was only restoring an old name to the city. Today, the BJP government had rectified the mistake made by Akbar,” a BJP spokesperson said. Keeping in view the feelings and emotions of the people, Allahabad had been renamed Prayagraj by our government. Five hundred years ago, the name of the place was Prayagraj as it was at the Triveni Sangam [a confluence of three rivers],” Mr. Adityanath said later in Gorakhpur. “Those who are opposing this are not aware of their history, culture and traditions and we can’t have hopes from them,” he told presspersons during a visit to the Budhiya Mata temple in Gorakhpur. There are many Prayags on the bank of the sacred rivers coming from the Himalayas, but this place is Prayagraj (the leading one among them), the Chief Minister said. Before the Centre The proposal would now go to the Centre before the city is officially renamed, though an Uttar Pradesh Minister seemed to suggest the change had already come into effect. “I am happy to say Allahabad will now be known as Prayagraj,” senior Uttar Pradesh Minister Siddhartha Nath Singh told presspersons after the Cabinet meeting chaired by the Chief Minister. “The government has announced this decision. It has come into effect from today, Mr. Singh said. “There is a process to carry out changes and the departments concerned will undertake it.” The State government would write to the Centre, he said. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav had earlier criticised the move. The Congress had also opposed it, saying the name change ignored the history of Allahabad, which played a significant role during the Independence struggle. Congress spokesperson Onkar Singh said the region where Kumbh Mela was held was already called Prayagraj. The State government could make that a separate city but Allahabad’s name should not be changed.
Source : https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/up-cabinet-okays-prayagraj/article25243125.ece