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Patna : Union minister and BJP MP from Nawada Giriraj Singh on October 22, 2018, stirred controversy by demanding renaming of Bakhtiarpur Town in Patna district, supposedly named after Afghan military general Bakhityar Khilji. Bakhtiyarpur is the place where Bihar CM Nitish Kumar was born and spent his childhood. Bakhtiarpur is 42 km away from Patna. It is one of the Blocks in Patna district.
Minister of State (I/C) for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Giriraj’s comment was strongly opposed by the ruling JD(U), which shares power with the BJP in the state, as well as the RJD and the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM).
Singh also demanded renaming of Akbarpur under Nawada parliamentary constituency saying it was so christened after Mughal emperor Akbar. Singh, however, did not suggest alternative names for these places. He lauded UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for renaming Allahabad as Prayagraj. If somebody captures your house while you are down then there is no reason why you should not reclaim it once you gain strength, Singh told mediapersons.
The JD(U) said that the Union Minister should have studied the history of the place before speaking about Bakhtiarpur.