What’s in a name: Poet Akbar Allahabadi’s name changed to ‘Akbar Prayagraji’ in UP, probe ordered

Lucknow: What is in a name, asked Shakespeare. But it is a lot if one belongs to a place that has changed its name. Well-known poet Akbar Allahabadi has been mentioned as ‘Akbar Prayagraji’ after the name of Allahabad was changed to Prayagraj by the Yogi Adityanath government, three years ago.

The name of the poet as Akbar Prayagraji appeared on the website of the Uttar Pradesh Higher Education Service Commission (UPHESC) on Tuesday.

A press release issued by UPHECS deputy secretary Shiv Ji Malviya after the issue led to furore, said that the website had been hacked and the change of name of the legendary poet Akbar ‘Allahabadi’ to Akbar ‘Prayagraji’ was misleading.

“The commission has not entered any such name on its website. It is being rectified,” read the press release.

The UPHESC’s communique further said, an inquiry from the cyber cell is being sought and strict legal action would be taken against those who have done it.

Akbar Allahabadi, incidentally, is famous for his lines on newspapers which say — “khincho na kamanon ko, na talvar nikalo, jab top muqabil ho to akhbaar nikalo’ (Neither bow and arrow nor a sword do you require. Publish a newspaper when faced with cannon fire).

The names of some other poets have also been changed on the website.

Rashid Allahabadi and Tegh Allahabadi were mentioned as “Tegh Prayagraji” and “Rashid Prayagraji”.

Meanwhile the Hindi website of the commission has been restored and work is on to restore the English portal.

A complaint over the incident has been lodged with the police’s cyber cell to nab the culprits.

The UPHESC, an autonomous body under the state government, is responsible for appointing principals and assistant teachers in 331 government-aided colleges in the state.

(IANS)