Ashok Gehlot said BJP lost Rajasthan polls because it changed the name of existing schemes. (Photo: PTI)

Ashok Gehlot-led Rajasthan government on Monday announced that it has decided to reverse the Atal Seva Kendra (seva kendras at village panchayat and panchayat samiti level) as Rajiv Gandhi Seva Kendra, the original name.

Lashing out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Ashok Gehlot said that it lost the assembly polls in Rajasthan as it only changed the names of existing government schemes when it was in power.

Now it's time for it [BJP] to face defeat at the Centre [in 2019 Lok Sabha polls], Ashok Gehlot said.

Ashok Gehlot also mentioned that nobody would have objected had the BJP government named a new scheme after Deen Dayal Upadhyay or any of their other leaders.

Gehlot cited the example of the previous Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government's decision to rename the Rajiv Gandhi Seva Kendra as Atal Seva Kendra to say that the saffron party will have to repent for changing names of the existing government schemes. He said the Congress government in Rajasthan has decided to go back to the original name.

"They changed the name of Seva Kendra to Atal Seva Kendra whereas in the entire country, in all the states, it has been Rajiv Gandhi Seva Kendra. The kind of thinking they have had of changing names, they have left no stone unturned in doing so. They have changed every scheme's name, Ashok Gehlot said.

Ashok Gehlot also said that changing the names of the existing schemes gives rise to animosity and vitiates the atmosphere.

"You want to progress by changing the names of those schemes that have already been running in the country. It gives rise to animosity, vitiates the atmosphere. Now, they will have to suffer. They are suffering, have suffered in Rajasthan. Now, they will suffer at the Centre."

"Secondly, Rajiv Gandhi gave his life for the country. There is no logic behind changing the names of the existing schemes. Our thinking is different. We [Rajasthan government] wanted to name it [Atal Seva Kendra] Rajiv Gandhi Atal Seva Kendra but on HC's order it'll be named Rajiv Gandhi Seva Kendra, Gehlot said.

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