Indore: Civic authorities in Indore removed several street name boards in Chandan Nagar, a Muslim-dominated area, after complaints from a BJP leader that the names reflected a “particular religion.”
Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav announced that legal action would be taken against ward councillor Fatma Rafiq Khan, accusing her of renaming streets without approval. According to Bhargav, five streets in Ward No. 2 had been renamed and new boards were installed with the help of municipal staff.
Former BJP MLA Akash Vijayvargiya, son of state minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, had written to the Indore Municipal Corporation commissioner alleging that the renaming was communal. He warned of protests if the boards were not removed immediately. Soon after, the signboards were taken down.
Councillor Fatma Rafiq Khan’s husband, Rafiq Khan, rejected the allegations. He stated that two years ago they requested signboards in the congested locality to make navigation easier. According to him, the civic body itself installed the boards with names used by residents for decades. He added that they would not oppose removal but would present their case to the mayor.
Examples of the disputed boards included one showing both “Sakina Manzil Road” and “Chandan Nagar Sector-B Ward No. 2,” and another marked as “Raza Gate” and “Loha Gate Road.” Local resident Abdul Wahid Khan explained that many roads had long been known by two names, such as “Gausia Road” and “Chandu Wala Road,” and said the removal would cause confusion in locating addresses.
