Rename Babar Road after Lt Umar Fayaz: Delhi BJP leader

Babar Road in Lutyens Delhi falls under the jurisdiction of NDMC that has effected two big ticket renaming exercises over the last two years.

New Delhi, May 19: A BJP leader has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding that Babar Road in the national capital be renamed after Lieutenant Umar Fayaz who was killed by militants in his home state of Jammu and Kashmir on May 9.

In his letter, Tejinder Pal Bagga, the spokesperson of the Delhi BJP, said renaming Babar Road after the army officer "will help in keeping his story alive ... as a reminder of how a young man laid down his life for the motherland."

Bagga said his demand had "nothing to do with history" though he contended that Babar "was an attacker".

"It is not an RSS agenda as people might think. I want recognition for Lt Fayaz. It has nothing to do with history which tells us that Babar was an attacker who had come to India to rule," he said.

He has also written another letter to the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) chairman demanding that the road be renamed to honour the army officer. Babar Road in Lutyens Delhi falls under the jurisdiction of the civic body that has effected two big ticket renaming exercises over the last two years.

Aurangzeb Road and Race Course Road were renamed as Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Azad Road and Lok Kalyan Marg in 2015 and last year, respectively.

Bagga said he has also written to New Delhi MP Meenakshi Lekhi, who is a member of the NDMC.

PTI