New Delhi [India], January 6 : After sending a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a request to rename India Gate as "Bharat Mata Dwar", BJP Minority Wing Chief Jamal Siddiqui said on Monday that the step would send a positive message and everyone will wholeheartedly accept this.
Speaking to ANI, Siddiqui asserted that India Gate is a symbol of India's identity on the global stage.
"We have requested the Prime Minister to recognize that India Gate is not just a monument but a symbol of India's identity on the global stage. This identity should resonate with our heritage, and renaming it to 'Bharat Mata Dwar' would send a positive message. The names of countless martyrs are engraved on the structure, and this would also be a tribute to them," he said.
"Visitors from across the world would carry this meaningful message with them. That is why we requested the Prime Minister, just as he replaced the statue of King George V--something that was not accomplished during Congress's 70 years in power--with a statue of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, inspiring the youth with a fresh message," he added.
The BJP leader further claimed that PM Modi will soon fulfil this demand.
"No one should have objections to this. I believe everyone will wholeheartedly accept this, and PM Modi will soon fulfil this demand," Jamal Siddiqui said.
Earlier, in his letter, Siddiqui highlighted several initiatives undertaken during PM Modi's tenure that aim to heal wounds inflicted during the colonial era and strengthen Indian cultural identity.
"The way wounds inflicted by the Mughal invaders and plundering British have been healed and the stains of colonialism have been wiped clean during your tenure has brought joy across the nation," he said.
In 2022, PM Modi inaugurated the renamed Kartavya Path, replacing the colonial-era name "Kingsway." During the inauguration, PM Modi said, "A new era has begun in the form of Kartvya Path. Symbol of colonialism 'Kingsway' will be history and has been erased forever. I congratulate all the people of the country as we come out from another symbol of colonialism."