New Delhi, April 29

A day after Delhi chief of the Bharatiya Janata Party Adesh Gupta wrote to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to rename around 40 places, Swami Chakrapani Maharaj on Friday demanded to rename the national capital as Indraprastha.

Swami Chakrapani, National President, Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha & Sant Mahasabha has urged Kejriwal and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to change the name of Delhi to Indraprastha.

He said his organisation would launch a signature campaign in this respect.

"The old name of Delhi was Indraprastha. The city has a modern name Delhi. Even in Mahabharata, it has been mentioned as Indraprastha," said Chakrapani.

He claimed, "A king during the Tomar era had installed an iron stick which was loose…and people called it 'Dhili' (loose). Later on the place came to be referred to as 'Dilli' and then it became Delhi."

"Indraprastha means the kingdom of lord Indra where everyone is living happily," he said.

The Delhi Chief Minister office has not given any reaction on this so far.

ians