Congress' Pawan Khera slams Centre for renaming Rajpath, his fellow party member Milind Deora calls it 'apt name'

New Delhi: Congress leader Pawan Khera on Monday (September 5, 2022) criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre for renaming the Rajpath in Delhi to "Kartavya Path". Khera, who is the spokesperson of Congress, said that if the name of Rajpath had to be changed, it should have been changed to 'Rajdharma'.

"If the name of Rajpath had to be changed, he would have changed the path to 'Rajdharma'. Atal Ji's soul must rest in peace,” he said in a tweet.

वैसे राजपथ का नाम बदलना ही था तो ‘राजधर्म’ पथ कर देते। अटल जी की आत्मा को अवश्य शांति मिलती https://t.co/RZgid224vP — Pawan Khera  (@Pawankhera) September 5, 2022

However, Milind Deora, Khera's fellow party member, praised the Centre's move. In a tweet, he said that "Kartavya Path" is an "appropriate name" for the Rajpath.

"Kartavya Path is an apt name for a road that leads to the temple of the world’s largest democracy. May it serve as a reminder to public servants everywhere that dharma & duty are the bedrock of public service," he said.

Kartavya Path is an apt name for a road that leads to the temple of the world’s largest democracy.

May it serve as a reminder to public servants everywhere that dharma & duty are the bedrock of public service. — Milind Deora | मिलिंद देवरा  (@milinddeora) September 5, 2022

Jaiveer Shergill, who was the former spokesperson of Congress, also supported the move. He said that it is an "excellent decision" to change the name of Rajpath to "Kartavya Path".

"This name will remind the basic essence of public service that the public servants must serve the public. It is not right to rule over the public," Shergill said.

Excellent decision to change name from “Rajpath” to “Kartavyapath” - reminder of basic essence of public service that it’s not “right to rule” but “duty to serve”. — Jaiveer Shergill (@JaiveerShergill) September 5, 2022

The famous Rajpath between Rashtrapati Bhavan and India Gate is about to be renamed Kartavya Path (Path of Duty), and the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) is expected to examine the proposal at its meeting on Wednesday.

The Rajpath in Hindi means the way of the king, in honour of King George V. It was called the Kingsway during British rule. 

Later this week, the New Central Vista Avenue is anticipated to open. It is a component of the broader Central Vista project, which also includes the construction of a new triangular Parliament Building, the Central Secretariat, and numerous other government buildings.

Other names of roads that have been changed

Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government came to power at the Centre in 2014, several names of the roads have been changed.

Race Course Road, where the Prime Minister's home is located, has been renamed Lok Kalyan Marg, and Aurangzeb Road has been renamed Dr A P J Abdul Kalam Road.

When former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited India in 2018, the name of Teen Murti Chowk was also changed to Teen Murti Haifa Chowk in honour of the Israeli city.