Naming and renaming streets not on government's agenda: Naidu

The government on Wednesday rejected the demand for renaming Akbar Road as Maharana Pratap Road, saying "naming and renaming of streets is not on the agenda", after Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh wrote to the urban development minister asking for the change.

Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu also said the government's priority was to take forward the development agenda of the prime minister.

"Naming and renaming of street is not the subject matter of the urban development ministry. It is not on the government's agenda. The government's focus is only development," Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu told reporters.

Singh has pitched for renaming Akbar Road in Lutyens Zone after the doughty Mewar ruler Maharana Pratap and written to Naidu in this regard. Singh's demand came amid reports that the Haryana government too had sought renaming of Akbar road after the Mewar ruler.

Asked about Singh's letter, Naidu said, "It is his personal opinion. He has the right to express his views... Giving suggestions and advices are the rights of every citizen as India is an independent country. Our priority is taking forward the development agenda of the prime minister and we are moving on that."

Playing down Singh's comments, another Bharatiya Janata Party leader Srikant Sharma said everyone has a right to express his opinion but the government's priority was solving the country's problems and its development.

"Our priority is 'gramoday se Bharat uday', as envisaged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The government works according to its priorities but everybody has a right to their opinion," Sharma, who is a BJP secretary, said.

In August last year, Aurangzeb Road was named after former President late A P J Abdul Kalam following a push by BJP leaders.