Dehradun: BJP MLA Dilip Singh Rawat has urged the Centre to drop the proposal to rename Lansdowne as “Jaswant Garh”, warning of negative impacts on tourism and the party’s 2027 poll prospects.
Rawat, a three-time legislator from the assembly constituency, wrote to defence minister Rajnath Singh calling the move “regrettable” and against local sentiment. He stressed Lansdowne’s established identity as a tourist hub and its economic reliance on tourism.
“The move will have an adverse impact on tourism in the area. People in India and abroad recognise the town by its current name,” he told TOI, adding that the local economy is heavily dependent on tourism.
The renaming proposal, issued by the cantonment board on April 10 to honor 1962 war hero rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat, has drawn opposition. Rawat highlighted the town’s historic ties to the Garhwal Rifles, which has trained lakhs of soldiers since its establishment in 1887.
Lansdowne remains one of the quietest hill stations in Uttarakhand and continues to be governed under the Cantonments Act. The cantonment board, currently run by an ad hoc committee comprising the Brigadier of Garhwal Rifles, the chief executive officer and a nominated member, had sought public feedback as part of the renaming process.
