SBSP Chief Rajbhar Writes To Chief Minister Adityanath, Wants Ghazipur Renamed As Vishwamitra Nagar, Bahraich As Suheldev Rajbhar Nagar

Om Prakash Rajbhar, the head of the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), recently sent a letter to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, requesting the renaming of Ghazipur and Bahraich after the revered figures, Maharshi Vishwamitra and Raja Suheldev.

As per a news report, Rajbhar pointed out that at a time when a grand temple dedicated to Lord Ram is being built in Ayodhya, it is an ideal opportunity to pay homage to the sage who served as Lord Ram's teacher, by renaming Ghazipur as it housed his ashram.

In the letter, Rajbhar requested to rename 'Ghazipur' as 'Vishwamitra Nagar' and 'Bahraich' as 'Suheldev Rajbhar Nagar'. He also took to Twitter to express his thoughts on the matter, saying that those who forget their history are unable to create their own, and it is our responsibility to preserve and protect our cultural heritage.

Earlier, too, Rajbhar had sent a letter, making similar request, when he was a minister in the Adityanath government in 2017.

He was sacked from the Cabinet by Chief Minister Adityanath for indulging in anti-alliance activities in May 2019 for his outbursts against senior NDA (National Democratic Alliance) partner BJP.

He then joined hands with the Samajwadi Party (SP) ahead of 2022 assembly polls. His party won six out of 17 seats it stood on. He, once again, parted ways with the SP after the poll defeat.

The recent indications suggest that he may be rejoining the NDA. BJP state president Bhupendra Chaudhary had indicated that the party is open to work with anyone who agrees with its ideology including the SBSP.

In fact, the hints of Rajbhar's growing proximity to the BJP could be seen from 2022 when he had broken ranks with his then alliance partner, SP and voted for NDA's presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu. He was also accorded 'Y' category security by the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government.

(With inputs from PTI)