BJP leader wants JNU named after Vivekananda, many in party support him

BJP general secretary C T Ravi wants Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) renamed after Swami Vivekananda. And he is finding many supporters, most of them from his own party.

Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a statue of the 19th-century spiritual leader on the JNU campus, Ravi on Monday said the university should be renamed after Swami Vivekananda.

JNU, established more than 50 years ago, is named after the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru.

“India is not the property of one family and, in the past 70 years, not only universities, but stadiums, airports, roads, all have been named after one family,” Delhi BJP spokesperson Tajinder Bagga said.

“We should acknowledge and give respect to our freedom fighters and all those who played a role in nation-building and, hence, JNU should be named after Swami Vivekananda. In fact, not only JNU, all universities, airports, stadiums should be renamed after freedom fighters and Indian Army martyrs,” he said, reported The Print.

BJP national spokesperson Aparajita Sarangi said Ravi’s point is “justified”. “This is not a political issue and Swami Vivekananda ji stands for a united India and I’m sure the government will speak to all stakeholders and take a considered view,” she said.

BJP MP Manoj Tiwari said renaming JNU in Swami Vivekananda’s name will be good for India. “For the past many years, one family was trying to run the nation and even their own party members are feeling suffocated today. Swami Vivekananda can’t be compared with anyone and, if a university is named after him, what can be better for India? He is a man who stood for India and got us a lot of respect. If JNU is named after him, it will be a welcome step,” he said, reported The Print.

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JNU, a premiere central university, also considered to be dominated by the Left ideology, has been in the eye of a political storm since 2016, when it was alleged that anti-national slogans were raised there.

In 2019, Hans Raj Hans, Delhi BJP MP, had suggested JNU be renamed after Narendra Modi.