NEW DELHI: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took a veiled dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the government’s decision to rename two iconic halls at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Speaking on the renaming, Priyanka stated, “There is no concept of durbar but that of shahenshah,” suggesting that the decision reflects a shift towards a more authoritarian style of governance.
During the 2024 Lok Sabha election campaign, Priyanka Gandhi responded to PM Modi’s ‘shehzada’ (prince) reference for her brother Rahul with ‘shahanshah’ (king of kings).
The government announced that two halls in Rashtrapati Bhavan will be renamed as part of a broader effort to make the residence more accessible and reflective of Indian cultural values.
“Rashtrapati Bhavan, the office and residence of the President of India, is a symbol of the nation and an invaluable heritage of the people. Continuous efforts are being made to make it more accessible to people,” a statement said. “There has been a consistent endeavour to make the ambience of Rashtrapati Bhavan reflective of Indian cultural values and ethos. Accordingly, President Droupadi Murmu is pleased to rename two of the important halls of Rashtrapati Bhavan – namely, ‘Durbar Hall’ and ‘Ashok Hall’ – as ‘Ganatantra Mandap’ and ‘Ashok Mandap’ respectively,” the statement added.
