‘Bhagyanagaram’ hoardings removed

Nampally: Following an outcry over description of city as ‘Bhagyanagaram’ in the advertisement hoardings of Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL), the authorities removed the promotional message ‘Vishwanagaram – Bhagyanagaram.’

A news report ‘Activists oppose use of Bhagyanagaram,’ which was carried on February 28 in The Hans India prompted the department to ponder over the issue. Following publication of the story some other newspapers also highlighted the matter. Under pressure from different quarters, the HMRL authorities responded and removed the advertisement spread throughout the City.

It was pointed out in the report that the hoardings installed by Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) authorities at different locations across the city, particularly in front of Haj House has attracted attention of passersby. People were objecting to the use of word ‘Bhagyanagaram’ in Telugu which is considered by most of the historians as a misnomer.

Some of the activists visiting the Haj House, where Assembly’s Metro station is also located, are irked by the way hoarding highlights the city’s name as ‘Bhagyanagaram,’ against the backdrop of ‘name changing spree’ in northern India.

While some of the activists requested the Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, who is regarded as secular leader, to take action against the erring officials for this kind of ‘bad joke,’ others took up the matter with the Metro Rail authorities and highlighted the matter by organising a debate of the issue by inviting historians.

Contested candidate from Karwan constituency and social activist Osman Bin Mohammed Al-Hajri raised objections to the way the legitimacy is being provided to the name which remains debatable. He wondered if the TRS was trying to impress the BJP, which has been trying to change the history of Cities by changing their names. Talha Kaseri, a MIM leader from Barkas, represented the matter to the Metro Rail officials and demanded that Chief Minister should take this issue into consideration, if he claimed to be a secular leader. All India Sunni Ulema Board chairman and president Moulana Syed Hamed Hussain Shuttari described this as a ‘bad joke’ which is intentionally or unintentionally forced on everyone. He felt that these actions would deal a blow to the image of the city as global city, as being claimed by the TRS government, if such misnomers were not withdrawn.