Bihar government renames ‘Atal Bihari Park’ to ‘Coconut Park’, BJP slams Nitish govt for insulting the former PM

On Monday, August 21, a fresh row erupted in Bihar’s Patna region after Dy CM Tejashwi Yadav changed the name of ‘Atal Bihari Park’, named after the former Prime Minister of India, to ‘Coconut Park’. The incident is said to have happened in the Kankarbagh region of Patna.

According to the reports, the name of the park was ‘Coconut Park’ but was changed after the demise of the former Prime Minister to be named in his memory. Yadav organized an official program in the Kankarbagh area and renamed the park back ‘Coconut Park’. The BJP took cognizance of the issue and slammed the state further demanding revocation of the said decision.

Union Minister and BJP MP Nityanand Rai said that the step taken by the state is highly ‘objectionable’ and a ‘big offense’. Urging CM Nitish Kumar to not let Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadavi do the said change, Rai stated that if Yadav is not stopped, he might change his (Nitish Kumar) name too.

“The renaming of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Park to Coconut Park in Kankarbagh, Patna is objectionable and a big offense. He is Bharat Ratna. I urge Nitish Kumar to stop Tejashwi Yadav from renaming it,” the Union Minister said.

VIDEO | “The renaming of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Park to Coconut Park in Kankarbagh, Patna is objectionable and a big offence. He is Bharat Ratna. I urge Nitish Kumar to stop Tejashwi Yadav from renaming it,” says Union minister @nityanandraibjp. pic.twitter.com/qZpPs3iK0S

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 21, 2023

“The government named the part after the former PM, the government got his statue installed here. Atal ji is in the hearts of all Indians and Bihars. People of Bihar will tell Nitish ji what big crime Tejashwi is doing,” he added.

BJP’s state president Samrat Chaudhari also slammed the state and said that the love and respect shown by the JDU leaders towards Atal Bihari Vajpayee was all fake and that the JDU leaders had no respect for Vajpayee. “This is a great insult to Atal ji. JDU leaders have no love and respect for the former PM,” he said.

The BJP has demanded the renaming of the said park back to ‘Atal Bihari Park’.

Meanwhile, the Environment, Forest and Climate change department’s Bandana Preyashi has said that the name of the park has not been changed and it was ‘Coconut Park’ since being looked after by the Forest department. The park was taken over by the department in the year 2021.