Delhi’s Rajpath renamed Kartavya Path
Union minister Meenakshi Lekhi said that the current name reflects a ‘colonial mindset’ as it conveys the idea of ‘raj’, or rule.
Delhi’s Rajpath has been renamed Kartavya Path, Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture Meenakshi Lekhi announced on Wednesday.
Rajpath runs from the Netaji Statue at India Gate to the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Lekhi said that the name Rajpath reflected a “colonial mindset” as it conveys the idea of “raj”, or rule.
“PM [Narendra Modi] said that country is celebrating Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav and we have to end imperialistic policies and symbols,” Lekhi, who is also a member of the New Delhi Municipal Council, added. “So, the name of Rajpath has been changed to Kartavya Path.”
New Delhi Municipal Council Vice Chairperson Satish Upadhyay said that the proposal to rename the stretch was received from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, reported The Economic Times.
#WATCH | Delhi: Visuals from the redeveloped Kartavya Path that will soon be opened for public use pic.twitter.com/YUoNXFToRL
— ANI (@ANI) September 7, 2022
In colonial times, Rajpath was known as Kingsway.
In 2015, the year after Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party assumed power, the name of Race Course Road, on which the prime minister’s residence is located, was changed to Lok Kalyan Marg. The same year, Aurangzeb Road was renamed APJ Abdul Kalam Road.