NE NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, FEB 24
What’s in a name? A lot of politics. Amid a controversy over a cricket stadium in Gujarat being renamed after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government on Wednesday said the name change involves only the Motera stadium and the entire sports complex continues to be named after Sardar Patel.
In 2007, Smt Sonia Gandhi came to Arunachal Pradesh and changed beautiful Arunachal University as Rajiv Gandhi University, laid foundation for Rajiv Gandhi Polytechnic, after having Indira Gandhi Park, Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Nehru Museum, Jawahar Nehru College, list is endless… https://t.co/Cdl7LAyc8w
— Kiren Rijiju (मोदी का परिवार) (@KirenRijiju) February 24, 2021
Soon after President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the world’s largest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad, which will now be known as ”Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium”, social media was flooded with remarks, including by some leaders of the Congress and other opposition parties who alleged that the renaming exercise amounted to an “insult” to Sardar Patel.
Beautiful how the truth reveals itself.
Narendra Modi stadium
– Adani end
– Reliance endWith Jay Shah presiding.#HumDoHumareDo
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) February 24, 2021
Asked about the allegations, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar, however, told reporters that only the Motera stadium has been renamed and the complex continues to be named after Vallabhbhai Patel.
Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who was present alongside Javadekar at the media briefing after a cabinet meeting, also took a swipe at the Congress leaders, asking whether party chief Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi have so far praised the world’s tallest statue of Sardar Patel erected at Kevadiya in Gujarat.
Javadekar said the two Congress leaders have not even visited the statue.
Prasad continued, “I want to say this with full responsibility that a tourist place getting global praise has not been visited yet or praised by the two Congress leaders. What else is there to say?”
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor tweeted, “Maybe they just realised the stadium was named for a Home Minister who had banned their parent organisation! Or maybe this is advance booking to ensure the next visiting Head of State is hosted here, like Trump? Or is this the beginning of a legacy-creation-thru-labelling spree (sic)?”
His party colleague Rajeev Satav said, “Renaming Motera cricket stadium from Sardar Patel to Narendra Modi is an absolute disgrace. This shows how narcissistic our PM has become. This is outrageous and a clear sign of autocratic dictatorship.”
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, without directly talking about the stadium, tweeted a Hindi quote of Sardar Patel, “There is something unique in this soil, which has always been the abode of great souls despite many obstacles.”
‘Hum do humare do’: Rahul takes dig at renaming of Gujarat stadium, name of 2 ends after corporates
In a dig at a cricket ground in Gujarat being renamed after Narendra Modi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday again invoked his ”Hum do humare do” jibe, claiming that truth was out with the stadium having the prime minister’s name, two ends being named after corporate houses and Amit Shah’s son being involved in cricket administration.
“Beautiful how the truth reveals itself. Narendra Modi stadium – Adani end – Reliance end. With Jay Shah presiding,” Gandhi tweeted, with the hashtag ”HumDoHumareDo”.
