After Mughalsarai station, airports in Kanpur, Agra, Bareilly may be renamed

Lucknow: On a day when Mughalsarai Railway Station in Uttar Pradesh is being named Pandit Day Dayal Upadhyay, reports suggest that airports in Kanpur, Agra and Bareilly may also be renamed. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has already sent his request to the Centre, seeking permission to rename the airports.

Mughalsarai Junction is all set to be renamed formally after RSS ideologue Deen Dayal Uphadyay. BJP president Amit Shah, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will be present at the event on Sunday.

The three leaders will flag off a passenger train and goods train with an all-woman crew, and also launch a 'smart yard' project at the century-old station on the busy Delhi-Howrah route.

The building is being touched up with saffron paint at places and signboards with the new name being put up.  On being asked about introducing saffron colour, authorities said that they have been instructed to do so.

Sunil Sajan of Samajwadi Party has accused the state government of trying to attention from real issues. "Will renaming stations ensure faster trains, better tracks," he asked.

Upadhyay was found dead in mysterious circumstances near the Mughalsarai station in February 1968. Mughalsarai is also the birthplace of former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.

The leaders will launch a project to upgrade the yard at the station, officials said.

Ekatmata Express, now set to follow a new route from Lucknow to Mughalsarai, will get the green signal. Railway officials said it will be the first time in the country that an all-woman crew runs a goods train.

Union Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha, UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and other senior BJP leaders will also be present. On paper, Mughalsarai station got a new name after Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik gave his assent to the proposal in June.

(With inputs from PTI)