National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday said changing the names of cities was an attempt to change the pluralistic visage of India and a premeditated attempt to deviate the attention of people from the developmental deficit across the country. "India is a mosaic of cultures and the contribution of Muslims cannot be belittled. Their contribution to the cultural pool of India is discernible in linguistics, crafts, food and other art forms," he said in a statement.

"Such attempts reveal the antipathy of the BJP-led state governments, including the incumbent Uttar Pradesh government, for academics and historical facts," he alleged. Abdullah, who represents the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency, said India had historically been a point of convergence of different cultures and the names of various cities reflected its pluralistic culture.