HYDERABAD, India: A major road renamed Donald Trump Avenue in the opposition-ruled Indian city of Hyderabad has triggered a political controversy, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accusing the Congress party of hypocrisy for honouring the US president while simultaneously criticising his policies.
The road, located in Hyderabad, the capital of the southern state of Telangana, was officially renamed on Tuesday. It runs alongside the US Consulate and is situated near the offices of leading American technology companies, including Microsoft, Google, and Amazon.
Ambassador Gor & #Telangana Dy CM @Bhatti_Mallu unveiled ceremonial plaque commemorating renaming of the road adjoining U.S. Consulate as “Donald Trump Avenue.”
Dy CM says as U.S marks Freedom 250, #Hyderabad is proud to stand as one of India’s strongest bridges to America pic.twitter.com/Tpwk77eRvB
— Aneri Shah Yakkati (@tweet_aneri) June 23, 2026
The renaming comes at a sensitive time in US-India relations, which have faced growing strains during President Donald Trump’s second term. Washington has imposed higher tariffs on Indian goods, penalized New Delhi over its purchases of Russian oil, and expanded diplomatic engagement with Pakistan, developments that have drawn criticism within India.
A key road named after U.S. President Donald Trump in India’s opposition-ruled tech hub of Hyderabad has drawn criticism from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling party, which dismissed the move as “hypocrisy”.
Read more: https://t.co/Ghp5yGWISx pic.twitter.com/fRL6HtfRST
— Emirates 24|7 (@Emirates247) June 24, 2026
The BJP quickly seized on the issue, targeting the opposition Congress party over what it described as contradictory political messaging.
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla questioned why the Congress-led Telangana government chose to name a prominent road after Trump while senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly accused the US president of undermining Indian interests.
Rahul Ki Hypocrisy Pro Max
Rahul Gandhi says President TRUMP hurting Indian Interests
Then why is his Govt in Telangana giving the ultimate tribute to him by renaming a road after him! Ceremony graced by Dy CM & decision itself endorsed by Revanth Reddy ?
🤔🤔🤔
So Revanth… pic.twitter.com/9ec0m1UuYB
— Shehzad Jai Hind (Chowkidar as per INC ecosystem) (@Shehzad_Ind) June 24, 2026
“Rahul Gandhi says President Trump is hurting Indian interests. Then why is his government in Telangana giving the ultimate tribute to him by renaming a road after him?” Poonawalla wrote on social media.
The controversy has also attracted criticism from other opposition groups. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) described the decision as “outrageous” and demanded that the road’s original name be restored.
Congress, however, defended the move, saying the renaming reflects Hyderabad’s growing importance in strengthening India-US cooperation and underscores the city’s role as a major technology and investment hub.
Today, the Congress Govt in Telangana officially named the road next to the US Consulate in Hyderabad as ‘Donald Trump Avenue.
Yes, and I have post this in Hindi as well.
Cc: @nshuklain @vaibhavUP65 @sumitp191 pic.twitter.com/oR0x7IY3rO
— Geo-Politics Affairs X (@Geo_PoliticsAX) June 23, 2026
Despite the symbolic tribute, Trump has never visited Hyderabad during either of his presidential terms. Former US presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, however, both visited the city during their administrations.
The debate over the road renaming comes shortly after Trump and Modi met on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France, where both leaders agreed to continue negotiations on a bilateral trade agreement despite recent tensions in their economic relationship.
