What's in a name? Gujarat govt to rename dragonfruit as 'Kamalam'

Gujarat government has decided to rename dragonfruit as Kamalam since its outer shape is similar to that of a lotus. Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said the name dragonfruit sounded inappropriate and clarified that there was nothing political about this decision.

Speaking at the launch of Chief Minister Horticulture Development Mission, Rupani said, "We have applied for the patent of the dragonfruit to be called Kamalam. But as of now, the Gujarat government has decided to call the fruit Kamalam." He added, "Even though the fruit is known as dragon fruit, it does not sound appropriate. The word Kamalam is a Sanskrit word and the fruit does have the shape of the lotus, so we have decided to call it Kamalam, and there's nothing political about it."

According to the CM, the fruit has been grown as a form of cactus across various parts of the country. Dragonfruit is largely grown in Kutch, Navsari and different parts of Saurashtra. The CM added the fruit also helps in raising haemoglobin and is known for its nutritional value. He also mentioned that this is the most expensive fruit available in the market. Shiv Sena spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi and P Chidambaram's son Karti Chidambaram decided to have some fun with this news.

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