Political Slugfest Erupts Between Cong, UP Minister Over 'Renaming' Of Varanasi Stadium

The Congress has accused the Uttar Pradesh government of renaming the Dr. Sampurnanand Sports Stadium in Varanasi as "Varanasi Sports Complex," a charge that the BJP -led state government has strongly denied.

Congress Points to Invitation Letter as Evidence

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai claimed that the invitation letter for an event attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday referred to the venue as "Varanasi Sports Complex." He accused the government of lying about the renaming of the stadium, saying:

"Minister of Stamp, Court Fees and Registration Department, how much will you lie to the public? In the invitation letter for the foundation stone laying and inauguration ceremony, the name of Varanasi's pride Sampurnanand ji is not even there and they are saying that the name has not been changed. Minister ji, you should have had some shame!" Rai stated in Hindi.

On Monday, Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Ashutosh Sinha led a protest outside the stadium, raising similar concerns about the alleged name change.

BJP Denies Name Change, Calls Opposition Claims "Petty Politics"

Responding to these accusations, Ravindra Jaiswal, Minister of State for Stamp and Court Fee (Independent Charge), rejected the claims, accusing the opposition of misleading the public for political gain.

"The Congress and the SP are so frustrated that they are bent on misleading the masses. No renaming has been done. Varanasi Sports Complex is built inside the Sampurnanand Stadium," Jaiswal told PTI. He clarified that the complex is a new addition within the stadium and that no proposal was ever made to rename the entire facility.

Varanasi Mayor Ashok Tiwari echoed Jaiswal's statement, assuring that Dr. Sampurnanand Stadium has not been renamed.

The stadium is named after Dr. Sampurnanand, a former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and later Governor of Rajasthan .

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