Union Minister of State for Cooperation Krishan Pal Gurjar and Rajya Sabha MP Dinesh Sharma have modified the nameplates outside their official residences on Tughlaq Lane in Delhi, incorporating “Swami Vivekananda Marg” along with the existing name.
The move comes amid recent proposals by some BJP leaders to rename several areas christened after Mughal leaders in the national capital. The modified nameplates prominently display “Swami Vivekananda Marg” with “Tughlaq Lane” inscribed in brackets beneath it.
Defending the change, Gurjar, an BJP MP from Haryana’s Faridabad, said, “We have faith in Swami Vivekananda, which is why we have added his name. But we have not removed Tughlaq Lane. We have not done anything against the rules.
Vivekananda is an inspiration for our youth, not Tughlaq.” When asked if he considered Sultan Tughlaq an aggressor, he responded, “Definitely. Whether it is Aurangzeb… they were attackers. I demand that this road be officially renamed as Vivekananda Marg.” Dinesh Sharma, a former Uttar Pradesh Deputy CM, also justified the modification.
“If you look closely, Tughlaq Lane is still written on my nameplate, but along with it, ‘Vivekananda Marg’ is mentioned because, on Google, this road is already registered as ‘Vivekananda Road.’ No MP has the authority to rename roads; there is a proper procedure for that,” he said.
The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), however, denied making any official changes to the name of the lane and confirmed that no application had been submitted regarding its renaming.
