‘Concept of Shahenshah’: Priyanka Gandhi’s jibe over Rashtrapati Bhavan move.

President Murmu announced that two of the important halls of Rashtrapati Bhavan, Durbar Hall and Ashok Hall, have been renamed. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday took a dig at the Narendra Modi government over the renaming of the Durbar and Ashok Halls of Rashtrapati Bhavan, saying the concept of “shahenshah (king)” still exists in the country. “There is no concept of Durbar but there is a concept of Shahenshah,” she said. President Droupadi Murmu announced that two of the important halls of Rashtrapati Bhavan, namely, Durbar Hall and Ashok Hall, have been renamed as Ganatantra Mandap and Ashok Mandap, respectively. The move was taken to offset the colonial heritage the names of the halls reflected. The President’s Secretariat said in a statement that the renaming was part of a “consistent endeavour to make the ambience of the Rashtrapati Bhavan reflective of Indian cultural values and ethos.” The press statement said the term ‘Durbar’ refers to courts of Indian rulers and the British Raj. It lost its relevance when India became a republic, it added. “‘Durbar Hall’ is the venue of important ceremonies and celebrations such as the presentation of National Awards. The term ‘Durbar’ refers to courts and assemblies of Indian rulers and the British. It lost relevance after India became a Republic, that is, ‘Ganatantra’. The concept of ‘Ganatantra’ is deeply rooted in Indian society since ancient times, making ‘Ganatantra Mandap’ an apt name for the venue.,” it said. It said renaming Ashok Hall removes the traces of anglicisation. “Ashok Hall” was originally a ballroom. The word ‘Ashok’ connotes someone who is ‘free from all sufferings’ or is ‘bereft of any sorrow’. Also, ‘Ashoka’ refers to Emperor Ashok, a symbol of unity and peaceful co-existence. The National Emblem of the Republic of India is the lion capital of Ashok from Sarnath. The word also refers to the Ashok tree which has deep significance in Indian religious traditions as well as arts and culture. Renaming ‘Ashok Hall’ as ‘Ashok Mandap’ brings uniformity in language and removes the traces of anglicisation while upholding the key values associated with the word ‘Ashok’,” the statement adds.