While observing that no public interest was involved in the matter, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed a writ petition challenging the decision of New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) to rename Aurangzeb Road in Lutyens’ Delhi after former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
“May be you are aggrieved, but the public is not,” a Division Bench told petitioner Shahid Ali, who is a lawyer.
The Delhi High Court said it will give detailed reasons for not entertaining the public interest litigation later.
Mr. Ali had alleged that the NDMC’s decision was the outcome of “sick and communal politics” and displayed the civic body’s lack of understanding of history. The Court had asked Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain to apprise it if there were some guidelines in force for renaming of roads.
Mr. Jain contended that the petitions before the Court had sought to convert the subject of renaming of roads into a communal issue, which it was not.
The Bench, comprising Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath, also rejected another writ petition moved by the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee seeking directions for renaming of the road after the ninth Guru of Sikh religion, Guru Teg Bahadur, as tribute to his martyrdom at the hands of the Mughal emperor.
