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Mumbai: BJP MLC Gopichand Padalkar on Thursday demanded to rename Ahmednagar as ‘Ahilyanagar’ to respect queen Ahilya Bai Holkar who was born there. He has written a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in this regard claiming strong public sentiments for the name change.
Padalkar and his followers celebrated Ahilya Bai’s birth anniversary at Choundi in Ahmednagar district on May 31. However, common people were restricted from entering the village, he alleged.
“The common public was stopped by police from visiting Choundi as NCP chief Sharad Pawar and his grandson Rohit Pawar were too present there. It is outrageous that Pawar supports Nawab Malik on one hand who has connections with 1994 Mumbai bomb blast accused Dawood Ibrahim and on the other hand, he treats the Ahilya Bai’s birth anniversary as an event to launch his grandson,” Padalkar said.
Praising Ahilya Bai’s work, Padalkar said, “Hindu Rajmata Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar is an inspiration for Hindustan. When Muslim rulers were destroying temples, she reconstructed them and revived Hindu culture. Therefore, Ahmednagar should be named after her as Ahilyanagar.”
Questioning the government on the name change, the BJP leader said which history do you want to narrate? “Do you want to claim the legacy of Mughals or Holkars? Chief Minister should take quick decision to change the name of Ahmednagar and prove that the remote control of the government is in his hands and not with senior Pawar,” he added.
Ahilya Bai Holkar was a queen in early-modern India and established Maheshwar in Madhya Pradesh as the seat of the Holkar Dynasty. Coming from a Dhangar community, she defended the Malwa state against intruders and personally led armies into battle. She was born in Choundi village in Ahmednagar district on May 31, 1725.
