Amid allegations from several Congress leaders that the renaming of the Motera stadium was an insult to freedom fighter and the country's first Home Minister Vallabhbhai Patel, Shiv Sena has slammed the BJPover the issue.
Sena said that it has now become evident as to who is trying to erase Sardar Patel's name. The Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera near Ahmedabad was on Wednesday renamed as the Narendra Modi Stadium.
The article also took an indirect jibe at PM Modi and BJP for using Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's name for the upcoming assembly election in West Bengal.
In an editorial written in its mouthpiece Saamana, Sena said that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's importance in new politics has come to an end, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose will also cease to be important tomorrow.
"In Maharashtra, the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was also used in similar fashion in the last elections," added the editorial.
The editorial also stated that the issue is not about the naming of the stadium after PM Modi. "The objection is that it had been renamed from Sardar Patel Stadium to Narendra Modi Stadium," the editorial added.
"Earlier, the world's tallest statue of Sardar Patel was erected in Gujarat. BJP said that this is a statue of the leader who had been insulted by Congress. It has been said many times in the last five years that the Congress or the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty tried to erase Patel's name, but neither Sonia Gandhi nor Rahul Gandhi seems to have suggested renaming the Sardar Patel Stadium in Gujarat as Narendra Modi Stadium," it added.
Thus, it said, now it has become obvious as to who is trying to erase Patel's name.
The stadium, popularly known as the Motera Stadium, which was recently re-opened after extensive renovation work which increased seating capacity to a record 1,10,000, hosted its first Test match on Wednesday with India taking on England in a day-night match.
The stadium's new name was announced in an inauguration ceremony that was attended by President Ram Nath Kovind, Home Minister Amit Shah, Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju, Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat, and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah among others.
