Amadavad: Ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders have in latest stated that renaming Ahmedabad would result in the loss of its status as a World Heritage City. On the occasion of 9 years of Modi’s rule at the Center in Ahmedabad, BJP City President and Ellisbridge MLA Amit Shah, along with Ahmedabad East Lok Sabha MP Hasmukh Patel, addressed the media.

The media persons asked the question in reference to a recent move by BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and the Maharashtra government in which the names of several cities and towns named after jihadis and invaders during Islamic rule were changed or restored.

In reply to the media’s query, Lok Sabha member elected from the Ahmedabad seat Hasmukh Patel mentioned that the insistence on changing Ahmedabad’s name to Karnavati was started by the Bharatiya Janata Party only. A proposal to rename it as Karnavati was made between 1995 and 2000 but it was rejected. Subsequently, in 2005, an application was submitted to obtain heritage status for Ahmedabad. Changing the name to Karnavati could pose challenges in obtaining this heritage status. Therefore, it was decided to retain the name Ahmedabad to preserve its heritage status, attract more tourists, and generate employment opportunities. No new demands for a name change have been made.

BJP City unit President and Ellisbridge MLA Amit Shah, along with Ahmedabad East Lok Sabha MP Hasmukh Patel, emphasized that Ahmedabad currently holds the status of a World Heritage City. The dossier prepared for the World Heritage City nomination specifically mentions Ahmedabad as the city’s name. Since the name Karnavati is not mentioned in the dossier, any change in the city’s name may jeopardize its World Heritage City status. DeshGujarat