A bill to alter the name of Uttaranchal to Uttarakhand was adopted by the Lok Sabha on Tuesday after Samajwadi Party members walked out demanding the return of the holy city of Haridwar to Uttar Pradesh.

After a brief debate during which the demand for the inclusion of Haridwar in UP was raised by SP members, the Uttaranchal (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2006, was adopted by a voice vote.

Replying to the debate, Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal said no comment could be made on the Haridwar issue as the matter was not connected with the matter, which was debated in the House.

In response to this, the SP members led by Ramjilal Suman walked out of the House.

However in their speeches, they had supported the bill to change the name of the state to Uttarakhand. Jaiswal said the Uttaranchal Assembly had passed a resolution to change the name of the state and sent it to the Centre.

The resolution was forwarded to the President who had recommended on November 23 that a bill be introduced in Lok Sabha under Article 3 of the Constitution. Accordingly, the bill was introduced in the House on Tuesday.

He said the Uttaranchal assembly resolution had reflected the sentiments of the people of the state and its history.

Opposing the name change, Bharatiya Janata Party members Bachhi Singh Rawat and B C Khanduri blamed the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance for bringing the legislation to gain political mileage just before the assembly polls, due early next year.