Controversy Erupts Over Omission of 'Nehru' from Mumbai Metro Station Name

Mumbai Metro Station Naming Sparks Political Controversy

Mumbai's political landscape has been disrupted by a naming dispute after the Mumbai Congress alleged that both the state government and BJP-led central administration intentionally eliminated "Nehru" from the Metro Line-3 station designation that services the renowned Nehru Science Centre in Worli.

The Congress party has formally requested the station be titled Nehru Science Centre, characterizing the omission as "disrespectful" to India's inaugural Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's legacy.

At the heart of this dispute lies the Metro authority's decision to exclude "Nehru" from station promotional materials, where the stop is simply identified as Science Centre or Science Museum. This conflicts with the established identity of the Nehru Science Centre, a significant government-operated science education facility located on Dr E Moses Road in Worli.

Mumbai Congress representatives have claimed this exclusion was calculated and politically driven.

In a statement shared on X, circulated by local Congress officials, the organization described the action as demonstrating a "narrow-minded, vindictive and intolerant" perspective. They subsequently demanded the immediate restoration of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru's name to the station designation.

Referencing previous alterations - including the contentious renaming of Delhi's Nehru Memorial Museum and Library - Congress argued that the station naming issue represents a broader systematic erasure attempt.

The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC), responsible for Metro Line-3 operations, responded that they utilized the official designation because the station was documented as "Science Museum" in a 2013 notification.

MMRC representatives informed the press that the abbreviated station name was justified because the actual institution is officially designated "Science Centre."

The inconsistency becomes more evident through MMRC's own social media communications, which promote Line-3 station amenities by enumerating nearby "Discovery Hubs" that specifically include the Nehru Science Centre and Nehru Planetarium.

Congress views the Worli situation as the latest instance of administrative and symbolic efforts designed to diminish Nehru's public presence. Meanwhile, governing authorities explain the station's shortened designation by citing historical documentation and technical naming protocols established during the project's initial planning phase.

While Congress insists on immediately reinstating "Nehru" based on public sentiment and the institution's established identity, MMRC defends the current station designation by strictly adhering to its official nomenclature and archival records.