New Delhi, Jul 19: A park in Sarvapriya Vihar will now be named after Rajesh Khanna, Delhi social welfare minister Kiran Walia said.
Rajesh Khanna had rented house number 6/14 in Sarvapriya Vihar for his short trips to Delhi, and a caretaker lived with him whenever he came.
Nearly ten months ago,the Bollywood superstar had requested the minister to build shades and walkways in the local park that was visible from the balcony of his first-floor house.
Rajesh Khanna wanted those for the senior citizens of the locality.
In his typical filmy style, Rajesh Khanna complained that when it rains, people like him cannot enjoy it sitting in the park as there were no shades, said Walia.
"I immediately visited him along with MCD officials who I thought were in charge of maintaining the park. I directed them to begin work, but the matter got stuck when DDA intervened, claiming that the land belonged to them and MCD couldn't construct anything in the park", said Walia.
Walia had first met Khanna way back in the late 60s during one of his shoots in Kashmir.
"I was always a big Rajesh Khanna fan;but I got to know him personally only when I was in charge of his booth at Dyal Singh College when he was contesting from New Delhi constituency on a Congress ticket against BJP's candidate Shatrugan Sinha", said Walia.
Walia was a DU professor and an active leader of DUTA. This was Rajesh Khanna's first win that gave him entry into Lok Sabha.
In the Lok Sabha, too, Rajesh Khanna used to barely intervene, except once when the BJP members were on their legs over the Babri Masjid issue.
Rajesh Khanna told the BJP members: "Suno, Ha se Hindu, Ma se Musalman, donon milkar bante hain "Hum", tum kya janoge secularism ka matlab." Khanna joined both his hands to convey the meaning of "Hum".
