Delhi's Tughlaq Lane Renamed? BJP Leaders Change Nameplates Of Houses

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Dinesh Sharma and Union Minister Krishan Pal Gurjar have changed the address in the nameplates of their official residences on Tughlaq Lane in Delhi, days after their party colleagues proposed renaming various areas of the national capital.

The two senior leaders highlighted 'Swami Vivekananda Marg' in the nameplates, with 'Tughlaq Lane' inscribed beneath it in brackets.

Delhi: BJP MP Krishan Pal Gurjar has renamed his residence to "Swami Vivekananda Marg," while BJP Rajya Sabha MP Dinesh Sharma also changed his residence's name to "Vivekananda Marg," with "Tughlaq Lane" inscribed beneath pic.twitter.com/HWLTiwKbck

— IANS (@ians_india) March 7, 2025

Mr Sharma, BJP's Rajya Sabha MP and former deputy chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, also posted pictures of his new residence after a housewarming ceremony on Thursday.

"Today, along with my family, I performed the housewarming ceremony of my new residence at Swami Vivekanand Marg (Tughlaq Lane) in New Delhi," he wrote on X.

आज नई दिल्ली स्थित नए आवास स्वामी विवेकानंद मार्ग (तुगलक लेन) में सपरिवार विधि विधानपूर्वक, पूजन-अर्चन कर गृह प्रवेश किया।@narendramodi @JPNadda @AmitShah @blsanthosh @myogiadityanath @idharampalsingh @pmoindia @BJP4India @BJP4UP pic.twitter.com/BayBC9JK9W

— Dr Dinesh Sharma BJP (@drdineshbjp) March 6, 2025

When asked about the name change, Mr Sharma said he mentioned 'Swami Vivekanand Marg' as the road is registered in that name on Google Maps.

"If you look properly, Tughlaq Lane is also written on my nameplate," he told the news agency PTI.

"No MP can change the names of the roads. There is a proper authority for it," he added.

Such changes are approved by a panel of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), the civic body that has jurisdiction over roads in central Delhi. Requests are put up before the NDMC council, a 13-member body headed by the chairperson.

The rules say renaming requests should take into account history, sentiment and whether a personality needs to be acknowledged in that manner.

Since returning to power in Delhi last month, some BJP leaders have proposed renaming various areas of the city, including Najafgarh to Nahargarh, Mohammadpur village to Madhavpuram, and Mustafabad to Shivpuri.

In 2015, Aurangzeb Road was renamed after former President APJ Abdul Kalam. A year later, the Race Course Road, the elite address for the Prime Minister's official residence, was changed to "Lok Kalyan Marg".