Pune (Maharashtra) [India], June 24 : Medha Kulkarni, a Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) member and Member of Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra, has demanded the renaming of Pune Station after Shrimant Thorle Bajirao Peshwa, the 7th Peshwa of the Maratha Empire.
Kulkarni strongly criticised Pune's poor railway infrastructure, highlighting the need for urgent improvements to match the city's stature as an educational and IT hub.
While speaking to the media, Kulkarni raised her demands, saying, "There are a few demands regarding the Pune railway station... Pune is considered the educational and IT hub. Despite being a city of such importance, the current situation of the station is very miserable; it should be improved."
She also raised the issue of poor connectivity from major cities like Nasik and Badalpur. "Rajdhani Express should also be connected through Pune; be it the Delhi to Hyderabad Express or the Bengaluru to Delhi Express, it should go through Pune."
She underlined the need for improved connectivity, especially in the wake of the upcoming Kumbh Mela in Nasik. She said, "Cities like Nasik and Badlapur don't have much connectivity, and for the upcoming Kumbh in Nasik, there is no train from Pune to Nasik."
The Kumbh Mela, expected to draw millions of pilgrims, increases the urgency for better transport links.
Adding to the broader political trend, Kulkarni called for renaming Pune Station, which aligns with the BJP-led government's ongoing initiative to rename various railway stations and cities across India.
She asked for the Pune station to be renamed and said, "Pune station should be named after Shrimant Thorle Bajirao Peshwa... the one who has fought so many wars and did not lose any. The name of such a great warrior should be for this project."
In recent years, several names of cities and stations have been changed, such as Allahabad, which was changed to Prayagraj, and Mughalsarai station, which was renamed to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction.