A signboard of Aurangzeb Lane in Lutyens’ Delhi was defaced on Thursday by the Delhi BJP Yuva Morcha, which pasted a banner that read ‘Baba Vishwanath Marg’ over it.

BJYM president Vasu Rukhar said the morcha demands that Aurangzeb Lane be renamed as Baba Vishwanath Marg at the earliest else the workers will take to the streets. BJYM state general secretary Sandeep Sehrawat, state vice-president Kamal Bagri, state minister Nitesh Rajput, office minister Arjun Vilotil were also present when Rukhar pasted the poster.

A senior official of New Delhi Municipal Council said action under the Delhi Defacement Act is to be taken by police based on their complaint. He said the poster was removed before the civic body team arrived and no damage was found.

DCP (New Delhi) Amrutha Guguloth said, “The signboard was noticed by a patrolling staff of Tughlaq Road police station, and he removed it immediately. A case under Section 3 of the Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property Act is being registered.”

This is not the first time such demands to rename the road have been made. Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta had recently demanded that Aurangzeb Lane be renamed as Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Lane, Humayun Road as Maharshi Valmiki Road, and Shahjahan Road as General Bipin Rawat Road.

In 2020, a day before the Ram Temple bhumi pujan in Ayodhya, former union minister Vijay Goel had defaced the Babar Road signboard and demanded that it be called 5 August Marg instead.

In 2015, Aurangzeb Road was named after former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.

Why Sunil Jakhar’s entry into the BJP could mark a win-win for both