While the BJP in Andaman and Nicobar Islands welcomed the decision to rename Port Blair as Sri Vijaya Puram, calling it much-needed, the Congress said the opinion of locals should have been taken.
Port Blair, the capital city of the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, was renamed Sri Vijaya Puram.
Andaman and Nicobar MP Bishnu Pada Ray of the BJP told PTI, "It was a much-needed decision as the name Port Blair used to remind us of slavery during the British rule." Andaman and Nicobar Territorial Congress's campaign committee chairman TSG Bhasker said it was unfortunate that the central government didn't bother to discuss the matter with the people of the island.
"They should have taken public opinion before renaming it. I strongly oppose the move," he said, dubbing it a "meaningless decision".
People of the city expressed mixed reactions over the name change. While some welcomed it, others called it absurd.
Announcing the renaming, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the earlier name had a colonial legacy, and Sri Vijaya Puram symbolised the victory achieved in India's freedom struggle and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands' unique role in it.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands have an "unparalleled place" in the freedom struggle and history, and the island territory that once served as the naval base of the Chola Empire is now poised to be the critical base for India's strategic and development aspirations, he added.
