Ahmedabad to be renamed?

Ahmedabad:The Gujarat government on Thursday said it was considering renaming Ahmedabad as Karnavati.

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani told reporters in Gandhinagar the name change could be effected before the Lok Sabha election.

Mr. Rupani’s statement comes days after the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh announced renaming of Allahabad and Faizabad as Prayagraj and Ayodhya, respectively.

“People have been demanding for long that Ahmedabad be renamed as Karnavati. The government is considering this demand. The consultation process has been started [to find out] if legally we can do it. After consultations we will take a concrete step,” he said.

Asked when was it likely to happen, he said, “Before the [Lok Sabha] elections.”

Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said the name Ahmedabad was a “symbol of slavery” and needed to be changed.

“We have started the process of getting legal and other approvals like the nod of the Centre,” Mr. Patel said.

“The name [Ahmedabad] is a symbol of our slavery, while the name Karnavati represents our pride, our self-respect, our culture, our autonomy,” he said.

Ahmedabad Mayor Bijal Patel said she would seek “guidance” from the government before bringing in a resolution for renaming the city.