Eight years after renaming Aurangzeb Road in Delhi to Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Road, the New Delhi Municipal Council has now approved the renaming of Aurangzeb Lane to Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Lane. The lane is adjoining the road in Lutyens’ Delhi, connecting the Abdul Kalam Road with Prithvi Raj Road.
In August 2015, Aurangzeb Road was renamed to Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Road by the NDMC.
NDMC vice chairperson Satish Upadhyay said that a proposal for this change was placed before a meeting of the council on Wednesday and approved. “Aurangzeb Road was renamed as Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Road in 2015. But this lane was still known as Aurangzeb Lane and its change was pending. The council has now decided to approve the renaming of this lane on similar lines,” Upadhyay said,
Recounting the several temples destroyed by the Mughal jihadi tyrant, NDMC vice chairman Satish Upadhyaya said there shouldn’t be any road named after Aurangzeb. “Aurangzeb Lane has been renamed as Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Lane. Aurangzeb tried to destroy the Indian culture so there should not be any road in the name of Aurangzeb.”
#WATCH | Satish Upadhyay, Vice Chairman, NDMC, says "Aurangzeb Lane has been renamed as Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Lane. Aurangzeb tried to destroy the Indian culture so there should not be any road in the name of Aurangzeb" pic.twitter.com/WvPH8Eteh5
— ANI (@ANI) June 29, 2023
He said that Aurangzeb destroyed around 1000 Hindu temples, including Somnath, Kashi Vishwanath, Trilokeshwar etc.
“An agenda item was placed before the Council to consider renaming ‘Aurangzeb Lane’ under the NDMC area as ‘Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Lane’ in terms of clause (a) of sub-section (1) of section 231 of the New Delhi Municipal Act, 1994,” NDMC Vice Chairman Satish Upadhyay said. The agenda says, “The Council has approved the renaming of Aurangzeb Lane as Dr A.P.J Abdul Kalam Lane. To respect the sentiments of people, the need to recognize and honour great men and women of our times, roads/ streets/ institutions have been re-named in the past.”
The issue of renaming the lane was raised in several meetings of the council, and finally, it has been approved.
The decision was made in the NDMC council meeting was hailed by the BJP.
देशवासियों की भावनाओं को अहमियत देने के लिए भारत सरकार का धन्यवाद 🙏🏻
— Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa) June 29, 2023
हम पिछले कई साल से दिल्ली की सड़कें बाबर और औरंगज़ेब के नाम पर होने का विरोध कर रहे हैं!
बहुत ख़ुशी हुई कि आज भारत सरकार ने औरंगज़ेब लेन का नाम पूर्व राष्ट्रपति डॉ ऐपीजे अब्दुल कलाम के नाम पर कर दिया है… pic.twitter.com/7QcIMPNkjQ
On 31 July 2015, the then-BJP MP Maheish Girri had written a letter to Prime Minister Modi demanding the renaming of Aurangzeb road to Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Road, following which the road was renamed.
The decision comes amid several attempts to flare tensions across the country by glorifying Aurangzeb.
