Politicians suggesting names or renames for airports, railway stations and metro stations are not new.
However, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has now another demand, which is changing the name of Sonapur Metro station, in Bhandup, to Dr Hedgewar Metro station. Dr KB Hedgewar was the founder of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
The demand is made by BJP's Neil Somaiya, who cited that the area is also called Hedgewar Chowk, and not only Sonapur.
"I have made the demand with MMRDA considering the official name of the area is Hedgewar Chowk, and Sonapur is something that is a name given by the Britishers. Though there is a possibility that Sonapur is more famous, that is not the official name," Somaiya told DNA.
Sonapur Metro station is part of Wadala-Thane-Kasarvadavli Metro-4 corridor for which civil construction work started earlier this year.
Earlier in 2017, there was a demand to name JVLR Metro station on Western Express Highway (WEH) as Bal Thackeray Trauma Care Centre Metro station by Shiv Sena Minister Ravindra Waikar citing there is trauma centre named by the same name nearby.
"We have received several demands of renaming Metro stations, including Sonapur Metro station. The final decision will be taken by the state government. Now, our priority is to complete the civil works by 2022," an MMRDA official said.
"I have been living in Bhandup since childhood. The area is more famous as Sonapur as compared to Hedgewar Chowk. However, it hardly matters to me as a Bhandup resident because an extra travel option will be a relief. A change of name is hardly a concern," Mayur Tare, a resident of Bhandup said.
Meanwhile, several sitting and former MLAs have also sought renaming of several Monorail stations, including Elphinstone Road Railway station renamed as Prabhadevi, Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.
Earlier, there was an argument between BJP and Shiv Sena over naming Oshiwara station between Goregaon and Jogeshwari as Ram Mandir station.
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