Congress MP Ripun Bora on Friday urged Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to revoke the state cabinet's decision to rename Rajiv Gandhi National Park and said described the move as a "political vendetta".
In a letter to Assam Chief Minister, Bora said, "The decision of your cabinet committee to withdraw nomenclature of Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park is most unfortunate and will create a bad precedent in the coming days."
The Congress leader said history will always remember the late prime minister, who sacrificed his life for the unity and integrity of India.
In addition to this, he said people of Assam will remember Rajiv Gandhi for his significant role in the historic Assam Accord which put an end to years-long bloodshed during Assam agitation.
Bora further said that the Assam government during the regime of Chief Minister Late Hiteswar Saikia, took the decision to name Orang National Park as Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park as a mark of honour and respect to this great leader and since then the National Park has got a place at international level.
"The Cabinet meeting held on September 1, 2021, "abruptly" decided to withdraw the Nomenclature of Rajiv Gandhi from Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park and making it as Orang National Park only," he said.
He further said it pains the people of Assam to a large extent and such decisions of changing the name of a particular institute will serve no fruitful purpose in leading our state to the path of development. Rather it reflects a lack of respect for a great leader who sacrificed his life for the country.
"There is every reason to believe that your above decision seems to be nothing but political vendetta towards a Former Prime Minister who differs from the political ideology of your party," the Congress leader said.
"In view of the foregoing facts and circumstances I urge you to reconsider the above decision and retain the nomenclature of Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park so that history will not term it as a bad precedent in the coming days," he added.
Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said that the Orang national park has not been renamed but the original name has been restored to honour the local sentiments.
Reasoning that no park in the state was ever named after a person, the Chief Minister outlined that the then government had affixed the name of Rajeev Gandhi in 2005, but now, the late Prime Minister's name has been dropped to 'honour people's sentiment'.
"Wish to clear the air -Orang national park has not been renamed -No National parks in Assam named after any person -In 2005, Govt broke this convention and name of the former PM Rajiv Gandhi was affixed -original name restored to honour the local sentiments," he said in a tweet.
The Assam cabinet on Wednesday decided to rename Rajiv Gandhi National Park as Orang National Park.
The cabinet decision said, taking cognizance of the Adivasi and Tea Tribe Community's demands, Cabinet has decided to rename Rajib Gandhi National Park as Orang National Park.
( With inputs from ANI )
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