The old name of New Delhi’s ceremonial boulevard – Rajpath – was scraped off the signs posted on the periphery of the India Gate hexagon after it was renamed “Kartavya Path”.
The move comes after the area’s civic authority recently issued a notice at its special meeting on Sept. 7 approving the renaming of the historic street.
The signs surrounding the India Gate hexagon are mounted on unimasts constructed of stainless steel, with horizontal signs of white text on a green background.
Late Friday evening, one of the three green signage signs bore the names of two streets – Sher Shah Suri Marg and Dr. Zakir Hussain Marg – while ‘Rajpath’ formerly inscribed on the upper plaque was seen scraped off, as well as from other plaques bearing the old name.
Sources in New Delhi City Council (NDMC) said the deletion of “Rajpath” from the signs was picked up by authorities working on the clean-up project after the renaming was officially alluded to. It will be replaced by “Kartavya Path”.
New, large signs with the new nomenclature of the magnificent boulevard were erected at the roadsides. Many youths were seen taking selfies with new signs with the ‘Kartavya Path’ on a wide bright green plaque erected on the former Rajpath.
“These new green signs with ‘Kartavya Path’ (in four languages) on the old Rajpath were installed by the Central Vista project authorities in accordance with a theme,” an official said.
Similar thematic signs with the inscription “C-Hexagon” were also installed on its periphery.
Rajpath was known as Kingsway during British rule while Janpath was known as Queensway. Both historic streets were renamed shortly after independence.
Union Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Culture Meenakshi Lekhi, who is also a member of the NDMC, said on September 7: “After 75 years of independence, however, the Rajpath name must be changed with the values and principles of democracy and a contemporary, to reconcile new India. The Kartavya path will also inspire everyone who visits or crosses the road to fulfill their duties to the country, society and their families,” she said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the “Kartavya Path” on September 8th and opened it to the public from September 9th. He had urged people to take selfies with it and upload it to social media.
In his post-inauguration address, he said Kingsway, or Rajpath, a “symbol of slavery” was now history and erased forever.
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