‘Govt obsessed with changing names’: Karti Chidambaram on Rashtrapati Bhavan move
Karti Chidambaram said that it is unfortunate that the government is tinkering with names that have been part of Indian history in the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Congress Lok Sabha MP Kirti Chidambaram on Thursday said the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre is obsessed with changing names as it thinks it will bring back past glory.
“This government has got a habit of changing names, and they are obsessed with it. They think that by doing this, they are bringing back some past glories which in my opinion is completely unnecessary,” PTI quoted Karti Chidambaram as saying.
He also mentioned that the government in power has changed the names of streets and public places, and now it is tinkering with names that have been part of Indian history in the Rashtrapati Bhavan, which is unfortunate.
The Congress leader's response came given the renaming of Rashtrapati Bhavan's ‘Durbar Hall’ and ‘Ashok Hall’as ‘Ganatantra Mandap’ and ‘Ashok Mandap’, respectively.
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The decision was taken to make the ambience of the stately building reflect Indian cultural values and ethos. "Rashtrapati Bhavan, the office and the residence of the President of India, is a symbol of the nation, and an invaluable heritage of the people. Continuous efforts are being made to make it more accessible to people. There has been a consistent endeavour to make the ambience of the Rashtrapati Bhavan reflective of Indian cultural values and ethos," the Rashtrapati Bhavan said in a statement.
"Accordingly, President Droupadi Murmu is pleased to rename two of the important halls of Rashtrapati Bhavan – namely, ‘Durbar Hall’ and ‘Ashok Hall’ – as ‘Ganatantra Mandap’ and ‘Ashok Mandap’ respectively,” it added.
This is the latest move by the BJP government in its push to rid the country of its colonial baggage. The press statement said the term 'Durbar' refers to courts of Indian rulers and the British Raj. It lost its relevance when India became a republic, it added.