Will Delhi's Iconic Akbar Road be Renamed After Maharana Pratap? BJP MP Makes Big Demand

New Delhi: The BJP has once again demanded renaming the roads in Lutyens' Delhi that are named after "Mughal looters" such as Akbar Road, Humayun Road, and other similar roads and lanes to names like Rana Sanga, Maharana Pratap, and Prithviraj Chauhan. BJP MP Rajkumar Chahar from Fatehpur Sikri, Uttar Pradesh, proposed this demand in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

BJP MP said, "In Lutyens' Zone, even today, Babur Lane, Tughlaq Road, Akbar Road, Humayun Road, Dara Shikoh Road, these various types of Mughal looters who have come to India, in their name, roads were built by the Government of Congress."

BJP MP Demands Akbar Road Be Renamed After Maharana Pratap

Rajkumar Chahar demanded the house speaker that he “would like to request the Government” that the names of these roads to be renamed after “Maharana Pratap, Prithviraj Chauhan, Guru Gobind Singh, Maharaja Surajmal, Gokula Jat, Shivaji Maharaj, Hemu Vikramaditya, etc., the great men, who fought wars with the Mughals.”

This is not the first time BJP has voiced for the name change, earlier in 2022, The BJP in Delhi has called for renaming roads that "symbolize Muslim rule," including Tughlaq Road, Akbar Road, Aurangzeb Lane, Humayun Road, and Shahjahan Road. The then Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta wrote to the NDMC requesting the changes.

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He also said Babar Lane should be renamed after freedom fighter Khudiram Bose.

Is is Possible to Make Such Changes?

Yes, its possible. Such changes are approved by a panel of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), the civic body responsible for roads in central Delhi.

Requests for renaming roads are presented before the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), a 13-member body headed by the chairperson. The panel carefully reviews these requests before making any such decisions as it might fuel outrage.

According to the NDMC's rules, renaming proposals must consider historical significance, public sentiment, and whether the individual being honored warrants such recognition. However, the rules also highlight that renaming should be seen as an exception, not a common practice.

Since the BJP came to power in 2014, there has been a spike in renaming roads across Delhi and BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh. This renaming spree has sparked controversy and debate.