Delhi's Chandni Chowk cannot be renamed by the civic body, the Delhi government declared Thursday, following a proposal to rename the area after cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar.
Published: Jan 05, 2012, 10:49 PM (IST)
Edited: Jan 05, 2012, 10:49 PM (IST)
Earlier, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) had proposed New Delhi’s Chandni Chowk to be named after Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar to honour his achievements © Getty Images
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New Delhi: Jan 5, 2012
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Delhi’s Chandni Chowk cannot be renamed by the civic body, the Delhi government declared Thursday, following a proposal to rename the area after cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar.
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“The government has asked the MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi) to avoid taking any decision on renaming Chandni Chowk as MCD is not empowered to change the names of existing roads/streets (under a home ministry communication of Sep 27, 1975),” an official statement said.
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The Congress-led Delhi government has also told the MCD commissioner that any attempt to rename Chandni Chowk will also undermine the historical, heritage and cultural importance of the area.
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“It would be only in the fitness of things if major stakeholders are consulted before taking any decision on the proposed renaming of Chandni Chowk,” it said.
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The home ministry guidelines state that names of existing streets and roads should not be changed as this may create confusion for post offices and general public apart from depriving citizens of a sense of history.
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In a separate statement, social activist Firoz Bakht Ahmed said: “We all love Sachin but would certainly not like him mired in this controversy as no road having its own historicity must be renamed after anyone.
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“We have made many of such mistakes and the process must be stalled.” (IANS)
