The Chandni Chowk MP has written to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw with a request to this effect, saying it will serve as a tribute to the Bharat Ratna and an inspiration for generations.
Member of Parliament (MP) from the Chandni Chowk constituency of Delhi Praveen Khandelwal has written to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw requesting him to rename New Delhi Railway Station “Atal Bihari Vajpayee Railway Station”.
Khandelwal called it a significant and emotional step toward immortalising the memory of the Bharat Ratna and former prime minister in the heart of the national capital.
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Simultaneously, he proposed renaming of Delhi Junction (Old Delhi Railway Station) “Maharaja Agrasen Railway Station”.
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Delhi CM Rekha Gupta has already written a letter to Vaishnav supporting the proposal of Maharaja Agrasen.
Khandelwal informed that he would soon be meeting the railway minister in person with the proposal and will also be raising the issue during the upcoming session of Parliament.
In his letter, Khandelwal said New Delhi Railway Station is one of the most important, busiest, and historic railway terminals in India, serving as the gateway to the national capital. Naming it after a towering figure like Atal ji would not only be appropriate but would also honour the sentiments of the people of Delhi and the entire nation.
Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s life was devoted to service to the nation, democratic values, and inclusive development, he added. “Under his (Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s) leadership, India achieved historic progress in infrastructure, nuclear strength, global diplomacy, and economic reform. Atal ji was not just a political leader, but a visionary, a poet, and a guiding light for the country,” the MP said.
Khandelwal further said, “Just as major railway stations like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in Mumbai and Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna Station in Bengaluru have been named after historical icons, similarly, a station located at the very center of the national capital must be dedicated to a national icon like Atal ji.”
He emphasised that such a renaming would not only serve as a tribute to a great leader but also as a source of inspiration for generations to come.
As the National Secretary General of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), Khandelwal also conveyed this appeal on behalf of the trading community across the country and urged the central government to consider the proposal positively and initiate the renaming process at the earliest.
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