# Bengal panel to rename Lenin, Marx, Ho Chi Minh roads in Kolkata 2026-09-14T07:33:32+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 3 independent outlets A 10-member committee set up by the West Bengal government is examining proposals to rename three prominent Kolkata roads, Lenin Sarani, Karl Marx Sarani and Ho Chi Minh Sarani, as part of a broader review of roads, bridges and public places in the state, a Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) official said on Monday (September 14, 2026). The panel, headed by Swami Pradiptananda (Kartik Maharaj of Bharat Sevashram), will hold its first meeting after Durga Puja. Former Meghalaya governor Tathagata Roy has suggested renaming Lenin Sarani after mathematician Debaprasad Ghosh, Karl Marx Sarani after Bengali poets, and Ho Chi Minh Sarani after Martin Luther King Jr. Roy also called for removing a Lenin statue and renaming some places named after Muslim figures. No decision has been taken yet, changes depend on the committee's recommendations, which will go to the state Assembly. The proposal has raised questions about whether changing long-established names could alter Kolkata's political and cultural history. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The three sources report the same facts with uniform neutral framing. The Hindu and India Today both note that the renaming proposal has sparked a debate about erasing Kolkata's political and cultural history, while Deccan Herald's shorter report focuses on the committee's action. The key difference is that The Hindu and India Today give space to the criticism, whereas Deccan Herald does not mention it. The balanced reading is that the proposal is at an early stage, with no names changed yet, and the final decision rests with the panel's recommendations, which will be submitted to the state Assembly. ## Coverage - thehindu.com (neutral report) Straight news report with no discernible slant - indiatoday.in (neutral report) Straight news report with no discernible slant - deccanherald.com (neutral report) Shorter wire-style report, no slant detected Tags: Kartik Maharaj, Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Tathagata Roy, West Bengal Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/bengal-panel-to-consider-renaming-three-communist-named-kolkata-roads/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/bengal-panel-to-consider-renaming-three-communist-named-kolkata-roads/#story-in-brief