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| - Fact Check: Mughal streets out of Lutyens' Delhi? Well not yet
A viral Facebook post claimed that the Centre renamed five Delhi roads. These roads were previously named after Mughal rulers. However, India Today's Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) has found it to be misleading.
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India Today Fact Check
NDMC officials confirmed that none of the road names have been renamed yet. In August 2015, Aurangzeb Road in Lutyens’ Delhi was renamed Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Road.
A Facebook post went viral with the claim that the Centre renamed five Delhi roads that were earlier named after Mughal rulers. Per the post, Tughlaq Road was renamed as Guru Gobind Singh Marg, Akbar Road as Maharana Pratap Marg, Aurangzeb Lane as APJ Abdul Kalam Marg, Humayun Road as Maharishi Valmiki Road, and Shahjahan Road as General Bipin Rawat Road.
The India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) found that the claim was false. New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) officials confirmed to India Today that the roads mentioned in the post were not renamed.
AFWA Probe
Reportedly, Aurangzeb Road in Lutyens’ Delhi was renamed as Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Road in honour of the late President in August 2015, a month after a few Bharatiya Janata Party MPs proposed the move.
We did not find any news reports about the above-mentioned roads getting renamed. However, on May 10, BJP Delhi Chief Adesh Gupta wrote to the Municipal Council (North), recommending that roads named after Mughal emperors and others “symbolising Muslim slavery” should be renamed.
In his two-page letter, Gupta mentioned Tughlaq Road, Akbar Road, Babar Lane, Aurangzeb Lane, Humayun Road, and Shahjahan Road, and demanded they be renamed after Sikh Guru Gobind Singh, the Mewar emperor Maharana Pratap, freedom-fighter Khudiram Bose, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, and Maharishi Valmiki, respectively.
He also asked Shahjahan Road to be renamed after the country’s first Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Bipin Rawat, who died in a chopper crash in December 2021.
However, when we reached out to Radha Chaudhary, the Deputy Director of the NDMC, she dismissed the claim made in the viral post and confirmed that the roads were not renamed. She added, however, “We have received a letter regarding this in our general department. But the official action is only taken once we receive the request via a recommendation from a member. Then an NDMC sub-committee looks through the matter and, if needed, passes it.”
How are streets renamed?
A proposal to rename a street in Delhi has to be sent to the NDMC. After receiving the proposal, it is sent to the General Department of the NDMC, where a 13-member committee considers this proposal.
The Chairman of the NDMC after the committee’s approval may rename any street or road under the NDMC area as per the provisions of the NDMC Act 1994. The body is empowered to make recommendations for renaming streets or roads under its authority.
Thus, it is clear that these roads have so far not been renamed (at the time of writing this) even though a proposal was submitted in that regard.
(With input from Yash Mittal)
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