Renaming Dyal Singh College unbelievable, shocking: Harsimrat Badal

New Delhi, November 25

Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Saturday termed renaming of Dyal Singh College (Evening) as unbelievable and shocking.

The evening college was turned into a day college in July this year and renamed as Vande Mataram Mahavidyalaya on November 17.

Talking to ANI, Badal said, “It is unacceptable and shocking. The person who is so keen to change name must change his own name. He can put all his wealth to create something and give it whatever name he wants.”

She further questioned: “How can you take away legacy of someone else?”

The Union Minister of Food Processing wondered as to how India could forget Majithia’s contribution.

“Even in Pakistan, they’ve recognised contribution of Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia and colleges are being run in his name,” Badal asserted.

Even, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has opposed the move.

“Strongly oppose renaming of Dyal Singh College as #vandemataramcollege. Founder Dyal Singh Majithia was a progressive visionary. We should preserve his great legacy instead of indulging in petty name changing games,” Captain Amarinder tweeted.

However, the college administration has said there won’t be any backtracking on the renaming decision.

The college’s origin arose from the estate of Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, founder of The Tribune and Punjab National Bank, who willed his estate in 1895 for the establishment of an educational trust for a secular college. Consequently, Dyal Singh College was established at Lahore in 1910. After Partition, Dyal Singh College was established in Karnal and Delhi. It started functioning in the capital as a constituent college of the University of Delhi in 1959 and was taken over by the University of Delhi as a university-maintained institution in 1978. ANI