Jaipur: National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) Tuesday removed four plaques installed along a 6-km stretch near the historic Haldighati battlefield in Rajasthan’s Rajsamand district after they were found to contain inaccurate and conflicting information about the 1576 battle between Maharana Pratap and Mughal emperor Akbar’s forces.The action came in response to a TOI report published on June 19 titled “Haldighati Plaques Omit Key Historical Facts, Spark Uproar”. Among the misrepresentations were conflicting timelines of the battle, which was alternatively described as lasting three hours, three days and June 18–23 across different plaques. The inscriptions also omitted key historical figures, notably Mirza Raja Man Singh of Amber, who led the Mughal forces in Haldighati.Following the report, several cultural and historical organisations expressed outrage and demanded immediate removal of the misleading plaques.Chandra Shekhar Sharma, professor of history at Meera Girls College in Udaipur, who flagged the issue, criticised the language and content of the plaques: “Not only were the facts incorrect but the diction and Hindi grammar seemed as if the text was lifted straight from a WhatsApp forward. Authorities must be more cautious — the people of Mewar are highly sensitive when it comes to the legacy of Maharana Pratap.”Pratap Singh Jhala, coordinator of Mewarjan—an Udaipur-based organisation dedicated to preserving Mewar’s cultural heritage—confirmed that he submitted historically accurate content to NHAI so that corrections could be made. “They (NHAI authorities) accepted the revised text and we expect the corrected plaques to be installed soon,” he said.NHAI officials are said to have conveyed to Jhala that their initial intention was to place a basic plaque featuring just a headline. “However, detailed information was later added by the field staff without formal review or approval, leading to the discrepancies,” Jhala said.
NHAI removes inaccurate plaques near Haldighati | Jaipur News
