Names of 8 UP railway stations changed, Akhilesh slams move

Lucknow: The names of eight railway stations in Uttar Pradesh have been officially changed, according to an order issued by the Northern Railways.

“The stations, which fall under the Lucknow division, have been renamed with immediate effect following approval from the Competent Authority,” an official

said on Wednesday.

The stations that have undergone name changes include Kasimpur Halt, Jais, Misrauli, Bani, Nihalgarh, Akbarganj, Wazirganj Halt

and Fursatganj.

With the change in names Kasimpur Halt will now be called Jais City, while Jais has been renamed Guru Gorakhnath Dham, Misrauli as Maa Kalikan Dham, Bani as Swami Paramhans, Nihalgarh is now Maharaja Bijli Pasi, Akbarganj has been renamed as Maa Ahorva Bhawani Dham, Wazirganj Halt is now Amar Shaheed Bhale Sultan, and Fursatganj has been renamed Tapeshwarnath Dham.

However, the renaming of these stations has sparked criticism from political figures.

Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav took to social media to express his disapproval, arguing that the government should focus on improving the condition and safety of railway stations rather than just changing their names. “The BJP government is requested to change not just the names but also the conditions of the railway stations... And when you get free time from changing names, then take some time out and think about preventing record-breaking railway accidents,” Yadav posted on X.