BJP Rajya Sabha MP Dinesh Sharma and Union Minister of State for Cooperation Krishan Pal Gujar - have renamed their official residences on Tughlaq Lane in Lutyens’ Delhi to Swami Vivekananda Marg, days after their party colleagues proposed renaming various areas of the national capital. The two BJP MPs highlighted ‘Swami Vivekananda Marg’ in the nameplates, with ‘Tughlaq Lane’ inscribed beneath it in brackets. However, other residences on the same road still bear the nameplate “Tughlaq Lane.”
The move comes amid recent proposals by some BJP leaders to rename several areas christened after Mughal leaders in the national capital.
Sharma was allotted the official residence at 6 Tughlaq Lane, where he recently moved in with his family. He performed a housewarming ceremony and shared pictures of the event online. On Thursday, Sharma formally shifted into his residence following a religious ritual with his family. The pictures he posted on social media platform X show him with his family, with the new nameplate clearly visible in the background. The plate prominently displays “Swami Vivekananda Marg,” although “Tughlaq Lane” is still mentioned in smaller text below.
Sharing the pictures, Sharma wrote on X, “Today, I performed a religious ceremony and moved into my new residence at Swami Vivekananda Marg (Tughlaq Lane) in New Delhi with my family.” Tughlaq Lane has not been renamed, nor is there any official plan to do so immediately.
When asked about the name change, Sharma said Tughlaq Lane is still written on the nameplate. “But along with that, ‘Vivekanand Marg’ is written because on Google [Maps], this street is registered as ‘Vivekanand Road’... No MP can change the names of the roads. There is a proper authority for it [renaming roads].”
It is not just Sharma. Union Minister of State for Cooperation Krishan Pal Gurjar has also changed the nameplate. The address on the nameplate of his official bungalow now reads “8 Vivekanand Marg”.
Defending the change, Gurjar, said, “We have faith in Swami Vivekananda, which is why we have added his name. But we have not removed Tughlaq Lane. We have not done anything against the rules. Vivekananda is an inspiration for our youth, not Tughlaq.” When asked if he considered Sultan Tughlaq an aggressor, he responded, “Definitely. Whether it is Aurangzeb... They were attackers. I demand that this road be officially renamed as Vivekananda Marg.”
“Swami Vivekanand is an ideal for the youth of this country. Hundreds of years ago in Chicago, he made a place for India before the world in ‘Dharm Sansad’,” Gurjar said.
“Such great personalities are the ideals of this country and sentiments of the country are attached to them...So, I changed the nameplate to Swami Vivekanand Marg...” 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. After the BJP’s return to power in Delhi after 27 years, demands to rename several locations in the city have been gaining momentum. BJP leaders have proposed renaming various areas of the city, including Najafgarh to Nahargarh, Mohammadpur village to Madhavpuram, and Mustafabad to Shivpuri.
The changing of names of places, roads, and institutions is part of the ruling BJP’s border ideological agenda to shed the colonial legacies to reflect India’s indigenous heritage.
The party also claims that the move is to honour historical figures, particularly those who contributed significantly in shaping Indian society.
Multiple instances of renaming have taken place under the BJP rule. In 2018, Allahabad was renamed Prayagraj to restore its ancient identity linked to the Hindu pilgrimage site, Prayag. The same year, Mughal Sarai Railway Station was renamed Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction in honour of the BJP ideologue.
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”.
In 2018, Faizabad District was renamed Ayodhya to emphasize its religious and cultural significance in Hinduism. In 2021, Hoshangabad in Madhya Pradesh was renamed Narmadapuram to highlight its connection to the sacred Narmada River while removing Mughal-era influences.Most recently, in 2023, Maharashtra’s Aurangabad was renamed Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and Osmanabad became Dharashiv, shedding Mughal and Islamic references in favour of local historical and cultural identities.