Don't rename Chandni Chowk: Delhi government

As a controversy brewed over the demand to rename Chandni Chowk after Sachin Tendulkar, the Delhi government has asked the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) not to go ahead with any such proposal saying the civic agency is not empowered to do so.

Chief minister Sheila Dikshit intervened yesterday after reports that MCD may consider renaming Chandni Chowk. The city government said a letter was sent to the MCD commissioner stating any attempt to rename Chandni Chowk would be a violation of the guidelines issued by the Union government, and it was not empowered to do so.

The letter also reminded the commissioner that the "great historical, heritage and cultural importance" of Chandni Chowk, which is known for its unique spirit of co-existence, will be undermined if it went ahead with the demand. Following demands for honouring the cricket star, a councillor, Suman Kumar Gupta, had said he would move a proposal in this regard in the MCD House meeting on January 11.

However, he later said that he would be moving a proposal to name one of the streets in Chandni Chowk after the cricket star.

The demands also elicited criticism from K N Katju Memorial Trust chaired by Press Council chairperson Justice Markandey Katju. The trust has in a letter to Delhi mayor, Rajni Abbi, termed the move an insult to the "cultural heritage" of the country.