Kozhikode, Apr 11 (IANS): State BJP president and candidate for the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat K. Surendran on Thursday announced that he will change the name of Sultan Bathery town to its original name Ganapathivattam if he wins.

Sultan Bathery is a town and also a municipality in Wayanad district and shares the border with both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. It is said that when Tipu Sultan, the Mysore ruler, invaded Malabar, he used this town as a storage place for ammunition.

Speaking to the media here Surendran said: “Who doesn’t know that Sultan Bathery was always known as Ganapathivattam.”

“Way back in 1984, BJP leader late Pramod Mahajan also spoke about this issue on his visit to Sultan Bathery. Everyone knows the history of this place, it existed long before Tipu Sultan arrived,” said Surendran.

Talking about Tipu Sultan, Surendran said: “After all why should we remember someone like Tipu Sultan who wreaked havoc in Kerala? He was engaged in converting Hindus to Islam. If I am elected from here, I will seek the support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and change the name back to Ganapathivattam.”

Hitting back at Surendran, Wayanad Congress legislator T. Siddique said: “Everyone knows who Surendran is and what all Surendran says.”

“No one has ever taken him seriously. He said if he wins from Wayanad, but he is not going to win but will end up a distant third. Even though this statement is a fit case for filing a complaint as it’s a violation of the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha polls, since it has been said by Surendran, we are not wasting our time,” added Siddique.

Another opponent of Surendran from Wayanad, CPI veteran Annie Raja said the BJP is known for distorting history.

“We have seen them tinkering with history as per their convenience and that’s what Surendran has said. Nothing is going to happen and there will be no change in the name,” said Raja.

Poet and social activist Kalpatta Narayanan said that Sultan Bathery has a rich history and is known to all.

“Surendran’s statement doesn’t mean anything as he is trying to erase the history of Sultan Bathery. No one who knows of the place will ever allow a change of name,” said Narayanan.

The sitting MP from Wayanad is Rahul Gandhi. He is arriving here next week and all eyes are on what Gandhi will say about his opponents’ remarks.