Bhopal, June 4 (IANS) The Congress on Thursday opposed the proposed renaming of Barkatullah University in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhopal as ‘Vagdevi Bhojpal University’, alleging that the move was “politically motivated” and “aimed at erasing the legacy of a prominent freedom fighter”.

The controversy erupted a day after the university’s Executive Council unanimously approved a proposal to rename the institution, one of the oldest and most significant centres of higher education in Central India.

The proposal has now been sent to the state government and will require final approval from the Governor Mangubhai Patel, who is also the University’s Chancellor.

Congress MLA Arif Masood told IANS that he would oppose the move, while State Congress spokesperson Vivek Tripathi described the decision as “cheap politics” aimed at misleading students and youth.

Displaying a photograph of freedom fighter Mohammad Barkatullah, Tripathi said, “Barkatullah was a proud son of the soil of Bhopal. He dedicated his life to India’s freedom struggle and used his writings as a powerful weapon against the Colonial rule. Renaming the university after him in 1988 was a tribute to his invaluable contribution to the nation.”

He also questioned the rationale behind removing the freedom fighter’s name from the institution, saying, “Today, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government is displaying a distorted mindset by attempting to erase the name and legacy of this great freedom fighter. Is his only fault that he belonged to a particular community?”

Tripathi also accused the current BJP-led state government of focusing on renaming institutions instead of strengthening the education sector.

“If the government wishes to honour a Goddess or any revered figure, it should establish a new institution rather than renaming an existing one. This reflects an inability to create new institutions and a preference for symbolic politics,” he said.

Established in 1970, Barkatullah University is among Madhya Pradesh’s premier public universities, serving thousands of students through its postgraduate, research and affiliated college programmes.

It was renamed in 1988 after freedom fighter Mohammad Barkatullah Bhopali, a legendary freedom fighter from Bhopal.

The proposal assumes significance as it comes less than a month after the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, in its May 15 judgment on the Bhojshala dispute in Dhar, declared Bhojshala a temple of Vagdevi, another name for Goddess Saraswati, the Hindu deity of knowledge and learning.

The proposed name — Vagdevi Bhojpal University — draws from both the Goddess and “Bhojpal”, the historical name associated with Bhopal and the legacy of Raja Bhoj.

The move also fits into a broader trend of renaming public landmarks in the state.

In 2021, Bhopal’s Habibganj Railway Station was renamed after Rani Kamlapati, the 18th-century Gond ruler of the region, while several villages in Bhopal district were renamed earlier this year.

The university officials said that the proposed name seeks to reflect Bhopal’s historical and cultural heritage.

However, the decision has triggered a fresh political debate over history, identity and public institutions in the state.

–IANS

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