Meerut, Aug. 21 -- Jalalabad town in Shahjahanpur district has been officially renamed as Parshurampuri with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs issuing the notification approving the name change after the Uttar Pradesh government forwarded its proposal. Union minister of state Jitin Prasada on Wednesday thanked home minister Amit Shah for granting the approval. Taking to X, he wrote: "I thank and express my gratitude to Home Minister Amit Shah for approving the renaming of Jalalabad in Shahjahanpur as 'Parshurampuri'. This decision, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, is a proud moment for the entire Sanatani community." Jitin Prasada, the current BJP MP from Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh, was elected the Congress MP from Shahjahanpur in 2004. His father Jitendra Prasada represented Shahjahanpur in the Lok Sabha for multiple terms. The demand to rename Jalalabad had been raised repeatedly over the years. The town is widely believed to be the birthplace of Lord Parshuram and it houses an ancient temple dedicated to him. The municipal council passed resolutions in March 2018 and September 2023 supporting the name change. In April this year, the Shahjahanpur district magistrate forwarded the council's resolution, along with his recommendation, to the state government. Union minister Jitin Prasada also wrote to the government in April, seeking the renaming in line with people's sentiments. Accepting the proposal, the state government sent its recommendation to the Centre. The Ministry of Home Affairs approved the request and issued a letter of confirmation to the Uttar Pradesh chief secretary on Wednesday. The Uttar Pradesh government had on April 24, 2022, officially declared Jalalabad as the birthplace of Lord Parshuram. The announcement was made by tourism minister Jaiveer Singh on the temple premises. On the occasion, he promised to beautify the temple complex and develop it as a major religious tourism site. Following the declaration, a total of Rs.30 crore was sanctioned for developmental works under two schemes. While Rs.19 crore was allocated for beautification of the temple premises and improving facilities for devotees, an additional Rs.11 crore under the Amrit Sarovar Yojana was sanctioned for cleaning and reviving a 42-acre pond near the temple. The project also includes construction of ghats, steps, pathways and a direct wide road connecting the pond to the temple. Calling it a moment of pride for the Sanatani society, Prasada said the decision has brought honour and joy to the devotees of Lord Parshuram. He added that he considered himself merely a medium in this "holy work" made possible by divine grace, and prayed for Lord Parshuram's blessings on the entire world.Earlier, Allahabad was renamed as Prayagraj in 2018, months before the 2019 Kumbh. Faizabad district was rechristened as Ayodhya in 2018 as well....