Rename Dadar railway station as Chaityabhoomi: Mumbai Congress urges govt

Mumbai: The Mumbai unit of the Congress on Wednesday urged the Maharashtra government to rename the Dadar railway station in Mumbai as Chaityabhoomi.

Chaityabhoomi is the final resting place of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Indian Constitution. The death anniversary of Dr Ambedkar on December 6 is observed as 'Mahaparinirvan Din'. Thousands of people from across the state converge at Chaityabhoomi on this day every year.

Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad paid tributes to Dr Ambedkar at the Chaityabhoomi.

Talking to reporters after that, she said, "Earlier, the state government approached the Centre with the demand to rename Elphinstone Road railway station as Prabhadevi. On similar lines, the Dadar railway station should be renamed as Chaityabhoomi. This has been a long-pending demand of lakhs of followers of Dr Ambedkar," she said.

In 2018, the state government renamed the Elphinstone Road station as Prabhadevi. When a new railway station was being built at Oshiwara, it was named as Ram Mandir, she said.

"If we consider that, then the demand of Bhimsainiks to change the name of Dadar railway station to Chaityabhoomi is very old. Their demand was not strong or fierce, but if the above demands were met and if lakhs of followers are demanding the change of name for years, then what is the problem?" Gaikwad asked.

The former minister added that Dadar area played a key role in the life of Dr Ambedkar.

"He used to live in 'Rajgruha' (his residence in Mumbai) and his final rites were also performed here. Every year, millions of his followers come to Chaityabhoomi. As a result, the state government should respect their demand and move the proposal in this (winter) session (of state legislature) itself," Gaikwad asserted.