The head of Delhi BJP IT Cell has demanded that the capital's iconic Akbar Road be renamed after late Chief of Defense Staff General Bipin Rawat who perished along with 12 others in a helicopter accident last week. The road was named after an 'invader' and would be better served after renaming in honour of the CDS, IT Cell head Naveen Kumar Jindal said.
"You are requested that the memories of the country's first CDS be instilled permanently in Delhi by renaming Akbar Road after General Bipin Rawat. I believe this would be true tribute by the council to General Rawat," Jindal was quoted as saying in all letter to the New Delhi Municipal Council.
According to reports in the Indian Express, NDMC vice-chairperson Satish Upadhyay was in favour of the move but requested time to put the proposal before the rest of the members in order to reach a consensus. Many other similar demands had been made on social media and otherwise, he noted.
In October, a signboard of Akbar Road was vandalised and posters were put up on them, declaring the stretch as 'Samrat Hemu Vikramaditya Marg'. The Hindu Sena had claimed it was behind the act. A probe was ordered into the incident.
The same month, false claims as spread via social media that Akbar Road would be renamed Samrat Vikramaditya Marg, which was summarily dismissed by Singh, Superintendent Engineer (SE), Road-II Division of New Delhi Municipal Council, while speaking to Boom Live.
The Akbar Road controversy attracts national attention since it is a hotspot of VVIP residences and areas, which stretches from the India Gate roundabout till the Teen Murti roundabout. The Congress office and Defence minister Rajnath Singh's residence are on this road.