Will Instruct Authorities Not To Use New Name For Aurangabad Till Name Change Process Is Complete: Maha Govt To Bombay High Court

The Maharashtra government informed the Bombay High Court on Monday that it will instruct the concerned authorities not to change the name of Aurangabad district and revenue authorities in official communications until procedure of renaming them is complete.

“We will record that you will issue directions that the names of the concerned revenue and district authorities will not be changed by the concerned authorities till the process is completed”, a division bench of Acting Chief Justice SV Gangapurwala and Justice Sandeep V Marne said to Advocate General Birendra Saraf, representing the state.

The court was hearing a PIL challenging Aurangabad’s renaming to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

Senior Advocate Yusuf Muchhala for the petitioner alleged that a campaign is going on in Maharashtra to change names of all cities which have a Muslim name in order to revise history. He argued that history should not be weaponised to humiliate present generation.

“The Supreme Court has held that the present and future generations cannot remain prisoners of the past…Years back according to the prevailing political ethos of the time, certain events have happened, some may have done a certain atrocity. And why my lord the history is now weaponized to take revenge on the present generation and make them feel humiliated. And that is why Article 21 is offended here”, Muchhala contended.

However, the AG denied this contention and submitted that naming of a city on a personality held in high esteem by the entire State does not have a religious colour.

The Centre has notified the renaming of Aurangabad and Osmanabad cities, but the process of changing the names of the district and revenue authorities is underway.

The petitioners submitted that the authorities in Aurangabad have started using the proposed name Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar even though the process is not complete.

Last week, in another PIL challenging renaming of Osmanabad to Dharashiv, the AG had given the statement that the authorities will not use the new name until procedure of renaming is complete. The court on Monday took the same statement on record regarding Aurangabad.

The court posted the PIL on June 7 for final decision.

Background

Last year, the State government proposed to change the name of Aurangabad to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and sought the Centre’s approval.

The present PIL was filed against it on the ground that public sentiments were not considered while taking this decision and the state violated provisions of the Constitution. It further alleged that the name is being changed to spread hatred towards Muslims and gain a political advantage.

Aurangabad city has been renamed as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar after Centre granted approval in February this year. The Supreme Court has earlier rejected a plea by the present petitioner and another plea against the Centre’s approval as the issue is pending before the Bombay High Court.

The state government had called for objections regarding renaming of Aurangabad district and revenue authorities, and the state will take at least till June 10 to process them, the AG informed the court last year.

Aurangabad derives its name from the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.

Case no. – PIL/93/2022 [Civil]

Case Title – Mohammed Mushtaq Ahmed v. Union of India