Uttar Pradesh’s Mustafabad to be renamed Kabir Dham: Adityanath
Uttar Pradesh’s Mustafabad to be renamed Kabir Dham: Adityanath
M.U.H
27/10/202517
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday announced the renaming of Mustafabad in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri district as Kabir Dham, the latest in a series of such moves, saying it is part of the efforts to restore pride.
“Faizabad is now Ayodhya, and Allahabad is Prayagraj. And Mustafabad will again be made Kabir Dham...connecting you with the programme to restore the pride,” he said at an event in Lakhimpur Kheri.
The renaming of Allahabad in 2018 prompted demands for changing the names of cities, towns, and districts that Hindu groups insist are associated with the Mughal rulers.
Adityanath said he asked how many Muslims lived in Mustafabad when he came to know about the name, and the reply was none. “But the name was Mustafabad. I said this name has to change, and make it Kabir Dham. We will get a name change proposal and initiate the process,” he said.
He said they, without naming anyone, had made Ayodhya, Faizabad, Prayagraj, Allahabad, and Kabir Dham Mustafabad. “Our government made Faizabad, Ayodhya, and Allahabad, Prayagraj,” he said.
Adityanath paid homage to saints and said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) governments in the state and the Centre are working to restore and beautify religious sites. He said money was previously spent on building “graveyard boundaries,” and they have worked to restore the identity of religious sites.
Adityanath called for the need to be vigilant against forces that break the unity. He said that the Opposition parties used to do this in the name of secularism, but this is hypocrisy. “Even today, anti-social forces are trying to attack faith and create divisions in the name of caste. If we do not recognise our weaknesses in time, these diseases will erode society like cancer.”
Adityanath called patriotism the solution to all problems. “This land is not just a piece of soil. It is our motherland and fatherland. Serving this land is true worship. Think what if your identity is erased. Our culture and faith have been under attack. First, the conspiracy was to divide on caste, and second, an attack upon faith,” he said, referring to what he called comments intended to insult the Sanatan Dharma.
“The focus should be to first remove shortcomings on our side. Treat the ailment, and if we do the treatment on time, the wound will not get bigger. We need to weed out the bad under the guidance of what the saints say for the welfare of society and country,” he said.
Adityanath referred to the transformation under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and said the country was grappling with an identity crisis before he came to power in 2014. “Corruption, terrorism, and divisive politics were at their peak. Under Modi’s leadership, India has become the world’s fourth-largest economy and is poised to become the third-largest economic superpower.”
He asked who would have thought 10 years back that the Ram Temple would come up in Ayodhya. “Whenever the devotees talked about it, others used to say it was just a dream. There is a grand temple, and Ayodhya is a happening place. Last year, over 60 million devotees came to Ayodhya.” He said the restoration of religious sites has been a boost to faith and tourism.
Adityanath warned of foreign powers conspiring to destroy youth. “Limit phone use and focus on self-development.” He said that the government is providing ₹1,500 monthly for every cow. “To protect the cow, public representatives should oversee shelters. Chemical farming is making the land barren, so adopt natural farming.”
