Renaming Controversy: Gehlot Slams BJP's 'Politics of Guilt'

Ashok Gehlot criticizes Rajasthan's BJP government for renaming Jaipur landmarks, accusing them of erasing Congress legacies. He suggests honoring leaders with new projects instead. Gehlot defends Congress developments of Central Park and Bharat Jodo Setu, questioning BJP's motives and previous naming decisions favoring RSS figures.

Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has accused the state's BJP government of engaging in 'politics of guilt' by proposing to rename Jaipur's Central Park and the Bharat Jodo Setu in a move to allegedly erase the legacy of the Congress government.

Gehlot, in a strong statement, remarked that the decision to name these landmarks after Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel should have been applied to new projects rather than ones initiated under the Congress. He accused the BJP of peddling false prestige as both developments occurred during his administration.

He further claimed that prior intentions for Central Park's land involved commercial interests opposed by Congress, and criticized the renaming to sidestep controversies like altering Ahmedabad's stadium name. Gehlot also questioned the merit of naming infrastructure after RSS ideologues Hedgewar and Golwalkar, urging for transparency regarding their contributions.

(With inputs from agencies.)