Hindutva group seeks to rename Delhi to push Hindu nationalist agenda
The move to rename India’s capital mirrors Hindutva efforts to rewrite history and recast multicultural heritage as exclusively Hindu
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — A proposal by the Hindu nationalist group Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) to rename India’s capital as “Indraprastha” has reignited debates over cultural erasure and historical revisionism, drawing sharp criticism from historians, educators, and civil rights advocates.
The VHP, an affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), formally submitted the request to Delhi’s Culture Minister, calling for the city and several major landmarks — including the Indira Gandhi International Airport and Delhi Railway Station — to be renamed after the ancient kingdom described in the Mahabharata.
The organization argues the move would “restore” Delhi’s Hindu heritage and link it to India’s epic traditions.
But many see it as another attempt by Hindutva groups to impose a monolithic religious narrative over one of the world’s oldest multicultural cities. “Delhi’s identity spans Hindu, Mughal, and colonial eras,” said Dr. Ananya Sharma, a historian at Delhi University. “Renaming it risks sidelining centuries of coexistence that define India’s plural character.”
Historians trace Delhi’s origins to the Tomara dynasty, founded around the 8th century BC by King Dhillu, from whom the city’s name is believed to derive.
Since then, Delhi has evolved under diverse rulers — from the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire to British colonial rule — leaving behind a layered legacy visible in its architecture, language, and art.
Urban heritage experts warn that renaming landmarks such as Shahjahanabad — the walled city built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan — would distort public memory and fracture the city’s historical continuity. “Renaming landmarks in the name of revival is not preservation,” said urban planner Ritu Mehra, arguing that inclusive heritage must reflect all cultural influences, not just one faith’s narrative.
Analysts say the campaign fits a broader Hindutva-driven trend of rewriting India’s geography and history to align with Hindu supremacist ideology.
In recent years, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its affiliates have renamed several cities, including Allahabad to Prayagraj and Faizabad to Ayodhya, invoking ancient Hindu roots while downplaying Islamic heritage.
Activists warn that such symbolic acts deepen social polarization and undermine India’s secular foundations.
As Delhi weighs the VHP’s proposal, the controversy underscores India’s ongoing struggle between historical pluralism and religious nationalism, raising deeper questions about who gets to define the nation’s past — and its future.
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