In a shocking incident, Akbar Road in Delhi was briefly ‘renamed’ after the signboard was covered by a poster labelled “Maharana Pratap Road” late on Tuesday night.
However, the yellow and pink poster pasted over the original name by unidentified persons was removed by authorities in the presence of police personnel.
Incidentally, today is the also the birth anniversary of Rajput king from Mewar, Rajasthan, Maharana Pratap. He had fought the famous battle of Haldighati in 1576 against Akbar’s forces.
As per media reports, the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), under whose zone Akbar Road falls, is investigating the incident and would launch an investigation.
Akbar Road is the address of several Union ministers and MPs, including BJP chief Amit Shah, and the Congress office, and it is not the first time that the signboard has been defaced. In 2017, the road was ‘renamed’ as “Maharana Pratap Marg” by a right wing group, Hindu Sena.
In 2016, Union Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh had written to then Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu that Akbar Road should be renamed after the man who fought Mughal Emperor Akbar – 16th century Rajput king Maharana Pratap.
“It’s not on my agenda. My priority is to improve civic administration. My priority is to make cities a place of better living,” Naidu had said.
In 2016, the Race Course Road, where the Prime Minister’s official residence is located, was renamed Lok Kalyan Marg.
In 2015, the NDA government had earlier renamed Aurangzeb Road to APJ Abdul Kalam Road in the memory of the former president.