Supreme Court on 'Renaming' panel to restore 'original' names of monuments: 'can't wish out history...'

The Supreme Court on 27 February 2023 dismissed a petition which wanted the Narendra Modi government to set up a 'renaming commission'.

The public interest litigation (PIL) wanted such a commission to restore the "original" names of ancient, cultural, and religious places which were "renamed" by "invaders" in the past. While Mughal Garden was recently renamed Amrit Udyan, the government did nothing to rename the roads named after invaders, the PIL said and contended that the continuation of these names is against the sovereignty and other civil rights guaranteed under the Constitution.

The top court said that the petition would resurrect issues which would "keep the country on the boil". A two-judge bench added that it was a fact that India was invaded and ruled by a foreign power and that part of history cannot be "wished out".

The top court told the petitioner, "Our country is secular and Hinduism is a way of life, which has assimilated everyone and there is no bigotry in it". It also said the history of the country should not haunt its present and future generations.

(With PTI inputs)