Andhra CM courts controversy again by removing ‘Maharaja’ from Vizianagaram govt hospital

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy invited new criticism—fresh on the heels of the row over state health university title change—for removing “Maharaja” from the name of the government general hospital in Vizianagaram.

“Maharaja” was a title conferred upon the erstwhile rulers of Vizianagaram in north Andhra region; prominent among the descendants from the rulers is Ashok Gajapathi Raju, a senior Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader and former union minister.

TDP chief and Opposition leader Chandrababu Naidu called the decision to remove “Maharaja” “yet another Tughlaq act of Jagan”.

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“The YSRCP government came under severe criticism for removing NTR from the health university name. This regime was earlier admonished by the court for removing Ashok Gajapathi Raju from the chairmanship of the MANSAS (Maharaja Alak Narayana Society of Arts and Science) Trust and the Simhachalam temple. But there has been no change in their attitude,” Naidu said on Friday.

The Maharaja Alak Narayana Society of Arts and Science manages several educational institutions in north Andhra Pradesh, whereas Simhachalam is a revered Hindu shrine near Visakhapatnam.

The TDP chief also shared a combination of two pictures on Twitter, one with “Maharaja” on the hospital name board and a new one simply stating Government General Hospital, Vizianagaram, on Friday.

TDP cadres held a protest at the hospital.

“CM Jagan should withdraw his decisions going against the public view,” Naidu said.

Last month, CM Reddy’s move to rename the NTR health university after his late father and former CM Y S Rajasekhara Reddy enraged the TDP, leading to protests inside the Assembly as well as on the streets.