In a veiled attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over renaming of two halls of Rashtrapati Bhavan, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday said there is no concept of “Durbar but of Shahenshah”.
“There is no concept of Durbar but there is a concept of Shahenshah,” she said in an apparent attack on Modi after being asked by the reporters about the renaming of the two halls of the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
President Droupadi Murmu has renamed two of the important halls of Rashtrapati Bhavan – namely, Durbar Hall and Ashok Hall – as ‘Ganatantra Mandap’ and ‘Ashok Mandap’, respectively.
In a communique, the President’s Secretariat on Thursday said, “Rashtrapati Bhavan, the office and the residence of the President of India, is a symbol of the nation, and an invaluable heritage of the people. Continuous efforts are being made to make it more accessible to people. There has been a consistent endeavour to make the ambience of the Rashtrapati Bhavan reflective of the Indian cultural values and ethos.”
“Accordingly, President Droupadi Murmu is pleased to rename two of the important halls of Rashtrapati Bhavan – namely, ‘Durbar Hall’ and ‘Ashok Hall’ – as ‘Ganatantra Mandap’ and ‘Ashok Mandap’ respectively,” it said.
‘Durbar Hall’ is the venue of important ceremonies and celebrations such as the presentation of National Awards. The term ‘Durbar’ refers to courts and assemblies of Indian rulers and the British.
‘Ashok Hall’ was originally a ballroom. The word ‘Ashok’ connotes someone who is “free from all sufferings” or is “bereft of any sorrow”. Also, ‘Ashoka’ refers to Emperor Ashok, a symbol of unity and peaceful co-existence.
Notably, during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Vadra had called PM Modi “Shahenshah” after he called her brother and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi “Shehzada”.