Taking a dig at some BJP-ruled states over their "name-changing spree", AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi targeted BJP president Amit Shah, saying his surname was a Persian word and wondered if it would be changed.

He was addressing an election campaign here Sunday evening for the December 7 assembly polls.

"Shah is a Persian word…will they change it or not… don't know," the Hyderabad MP said.

According to officials, the NDA-led Centre has given consent to the renaming of at least 25 towns and villages across India in the past one year.

Allahabad and Faizabad in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh are the latest additions to the growing list of places that have been renamed.