subject: Amethi becomes ‘political target', renamed as Chhatrapati Sahuji Maharaj Nagar [print this page] Amethi becomes political target', renamed as Chhatrapati Sahuji Maharaj Nagar
Lucknow(UttarPradesh), 1 July 2010
In a desperate attempt to negate the rising influence of Rahul Gandhi in Uttar Pradesh and his parliamentary constituency Amethi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has renamed Amethi after dalit leader Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj. Amethi will now be a part of a new district and will be named as Chhatrapati Sahuji Maharaj Nagar. It will the 72th district of the state.
This initiative has been taken to get political advantage as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi represents this constituency in the Parliament and also Congress is on the revival track in UP.
It is well known that Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi had been to dalit's village in the remote areas of the state. He spent overnight with dalits which was not taken in healthy spirit by Mayawati government.
Earlier in 2003,inspired by political vengeance, Mayawati had converted the name of Amethi to Chhatrapati Sahuji Maharaj Nagar district. It was later reverted to its earlier name after the Mulayam Singh Yadav government came to power.
The decision taken today of renaming Amethi is a clear signal of restlessness existing in the UP government that is answering Rahul Gandhi's pro development agenda in such negative manner.
Amethi is a town and a nagar panchayat in Sultanpur district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India.Amethi lies at the latitude 26 degree 9 minute north and longitude 81 degree 49 minute east on Raebareli-Amethi-Sultanpur road about 40 km south-west of Sultanpur. Also called as Raipur-Amethi of which Raipur belonged to the Raja of Amethi who lived at Ram Nagar. His ancestors used to reside in Raipur-Phulwari where the old fort is still found. Here there is also a temple called Hanumangarhi and a mosque both built about hundred years ago. About three kilometres north of Ram Nagar there is a tomb of famous poet , Saint Malik Muhammad Jayasi where he died, and the fort was built by Bachghoti Rajas.It is known as the seat of power of the Indian Nehru-Gandhi political dynasty. Former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, his grandsons Sanjay and Rajiv Gandhi (the sons of Indira Gandhi), as well as Rajiv Gandhi's wife Sonia Gandhi have all represented this constituency. In 2004, a fifth member of the family, Sonia and Rajiv's son Rahul Gandhi, was easily elected to the seat with a tremendous support in the 2004 general elections. As an educational hub of the area it has got Indian Institute of Information Technology and Rajarshi Rananjay Post Graduate College. Amethi also boasts of the Avionics Division of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, the organisation responsible for manufacture of Aircraft for Indian Airforce. Amethi has also a unit of Indo Gulf Fertilisers In Lucknow. On October 7, 2003, the State Cabinet revoked the earlier notification regarding renaming of Amethi as Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj Nagar.On 1 July 2010 , the state BSP government in an attempt to negate the influence of Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi took a regressive step, recreated a new district and renamed Rahul's parliamentary constituency Amethi asChhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj Nagar.
