A park in Patna said to be named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has now become the cause of controversy. The Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party has accused the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department of the Bihar government, which revamped the ‘Coconut Park’ and inaugurated it on Monday, of removing the late leader’s name from the title.
There are claims that the park, located in Kankarbagh colony of Patna, was named Atal Bihari Vajpayee Park after the death of the BJP leader in 2018. Following renovation, the park has once again been referred to as ‘Coconut Park’. A plaque at the entrance of the park used to bear the name ‘Atal Bihari Vajpayee cum Coconut Park’. On the day of the inauguration, only ‘Coconut Park’ was written on the plaque.
Tej Pratap Yadav, State Environment Minister and son of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, was scheduled to inaugurate the park on Monday afternoon. However, after the controversy broke out, he cancelled the inauguration and visited other parks in the capital city..
‘No change’
On the BJP questioning the name change, Mr. Yadav said, “I have not changed the name of the park. Since the beginning, the name of the park is Coconut Park. BJP people are unnecessarily spreading rumours that I have changed the name of the park. BJP is doing politics over the name. If locals change the name of the park [to Atal Bihar Vajpayee Park] that does not mean that the government has changed it. Since the beginning, the name of the park has been Coconut Park.”
Requesting anonymity, an official of the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department said, “After the death of Atal Bihari Vajpayeeji, a private organisation called the Bhartiya Jan Jagriti Manch installed a small statue of Vajpayeeji in the park and they only installed the board of Vajpayeeji at the front gate. There is a dedicated park in the name of Vajpayeeji in Patliputra Colony, where a State function is organised every year. The inauguration of this park [by Minister Yadav] has been put on hold for some time and officials have been asked to clear the doubts over the name of the park. However, on paper, the name of the park is Coconut Park.”
Earlier, all parks used to be maintained by the Urban Development and Housing Department. On November 16, 2022, when this park, along with other parks, was transferred to the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department, it bore the name of Coconut Park.
BJP condemns ‘name change’
The BJP leaders made a scathing attack on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the issue and accused him of double standards.
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said, “I strongly condemn the move of the State government of changing the name of the park named by Vajpayeeji. The leader was conferred Bharat Ratna and removal of his name is not less than a crime. In days to come, Nitish Kumar’s name would also be changed from many places.”
BJP State president Samrat Choudhary said, “The real face of Nitishji is exposed now. There is no respect for Atal Bihari Vajpayeeji in Bihar. The name of the park is being changed in the regime of Nitish Kumar which shows his double standards. This is the real respect towards him by his government. Nitishji speaks something else does something else.”
On August 16, Mr. Kumar visited Vajpayee’s memorial in New Delhi to pay tribute to the leader on his death anniversary.
