India, May 17 -- A fresh controversy has erupted in the BJP-ruled Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) after the civic body decided to name its newly built cancer hospital in Baner after the late Yashwantrao Bhimale, father of standing committee chairman and BJP leader Shreenath Bhimale. This marks the second instance of a civic facility being named after him. The naming decision surfaced just hours before chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is scheduled to inaugurate the hospital on Sunday, triggering criticism from civic activists as well as discontent within sections of the political party.

Bhimale said the hospital was originally proposed in Salisbury Park, which falls under his ward, and that he had made efforts to secure financial provisi...