The Indian Buddhist Association has urged the government to rename roads in Delhi named after Mughal rulers. If the names are not changed by March 19, the group has vowed to blacken the signboards of these roads in protest.
The decision was made during the National Council meeting of the Indian Buddhist Association. Its National President, Bhante Sangh Priya Rahul, stated that the Mughals had no contribution to India’s development and were merely invaders who looted the country.
"The Mughals came only to loot and destroy India. The Congress has continued to glorify them, which shows that it considers those who looted India and committed atrocities against humanity as their ideals,” he said in a statement.
Bhante Rahul further alleged that certain Muslim organisations and political parties were plotting a ‘Ghazwa-e-Hind’ (Islamic conquest of India) but their plans were thwarted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He also claimed that the banned outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) was still secretly active, working towards its goal of turning India into a Muslim nation by 2047.
As part of its demand, the association is urging the government to rename several roads in Delhi, replacing Mughal rulers' names with those of Indian historical and cultural icons. Bhante Rahul specifically called for renaming of Firoz Shah Road to Birsa Munda Marg, Humayun Road to Veer Savarkar Marg, Akbar Road to Maharishi Valmiki Marg. According to him, Aurangzeb Lane to be named Ahilyabai Holkar Marg, and Shahjahan Road to be changed to Balasaheb Thackeray Marg, in honor of the late Shiv Sena founder.
The association announced that it would formally write letters to the Prime Minister, Home Minister, Delhi Chief Minister, Delhi Mayor, and NDMC Vice Chairman to push for these changes. If no action is taken by March 19, the group has threatened to deface road signboards as a symbolic protest.
On February 20, author Amish Tripathi called for renaming of all locations named after Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, suggesting they be named after Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj or Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj instead.
Tripathi, after watching the historical film ‘Chhaava’, wrote on X, “I think that EVERY SINGLE PLACE named after the Timurid barbarian Aurangzeb should be renamed after Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj or Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj.”
Citing a report from The New York Times, Tripathi referred to Aurangzeb as one of history’s most genocidal rulers, alongside Mao Zedong and Joseph Stalin. "Even the left-wing @nytimes had shown in its data that Aurangzeb was among the most murderous and genocidal despots in human history, with only Marxist/Communist despots Mao and Stalin having killed more people."