New Delhi’s Akbar Road was found sporting a new name on Wednesday morning, after miscreants pasted ‘Maharana Pratap Road’ over the signage. Incidentally, 9 May marks Maharana Pratap’s birth anniversary.
The poster has now been scrapped off, restoring the road its former name. The police is currently investigating the case.
Akbar Road is one among Delhi’s many important landmarks, housing the Indian National Congress’s head office.
According to a report in The Hindu dated 19 May 2016, former army chief and Minister of State for External Affairs General VK Singh had written to then Union Minister for Urban Planning Venkaiah Naidu, requesting that Akbar Road be rechristened Maharana Pratap Road in honor of “this great man of India.”
However, Naidu had then made clear that the Centre would not get involved in the issue. The jurisdiction of Akbar road falls under the New Delhi municipal corporation.
Earlier in 2015, the NDMC had changed the name of Aurangzeb road to Dr APJ Abdul Kalam road in honour of the former President.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)