PIL In Bombay High Court Challenges Maharashtra Govt Decision To Change Name Of "Aurangabad" As "Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar"

"It is a painful fact of history that Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj was killed under the command of Aurangzeb as per political ethos and expediency of the time," the plea states adding that no Indian Muslim ever supported the killing and "It is old history for which Muslims living in India cannot be held responsible."

According to the plea, the purpose of raising the issue of changing Aurangabad's name was to spread hatred to gain political advantage. 

The PIL filed by Mohammed Mushtaq Ahmed, Annasaheb Khandare and Rajesh Moreis is likely to be heard on August 1.

Former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, leading the former Maha Vikas Aghadi Govt decided to rename the city in the last cabinet meeting on June 29, 2022. And new Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, from the same Shiv Sena party reiterated the proposal for the city to be called 'Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar'.

According to the PIL, renaming of Aurangabad started in 1988. It is the Shiv Sena's brain child, in order to polarise society.

The PIL states that an attempt was made in 1995 to change the name of the city and a draft notification was issued, after which the petitioners had approached the Supreme Court. Subsequently in 2001 the state rescinded the notification and the WP was dismissed as infructuous in 2002.

Another writ petition against the local civic body's proposal for name change was rejected in 2014 for being "pre-mature."

The PIL states that there is a "pattern developed by political parties espousing the political theory of Hindutva to change the names of several cities and places particularly those which bear Muslim names. Such pattern has the oblique motive to inflict insult and humiliation on the Indian citizens professing Islam and thereby attacking their right to live with dignity in violation of Article 21 of the Constitution."

History is distorted to humiliate Indian Muslims and the contribution by Muslim rulers to the growth of Indian culture, the plea states. It adds that "Actions of the State Government are a part of design to distort the entire history of the Moghul era to which large sections of the Indian citizens look up to with admiration and appreciation."

Aurangabad's History

Aurangabad was founded in the year 1610 AD by Malik Amber, the Prime Minister of Murtaza Nizam Shah of Ahmednagar. Eventually it came under Aurangzeb's rule in 1643 and name it Khujistan Buniyad from Fateh Nagar. However, since locals found the name difficult to pronounce, they started calling the city Aurangabad. The city is called the 'Jewel of the Deccan' because of its historical significance and heritage, the plea states.

Since, Aurangzeb killed Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, the State wants to change the name of the city. However, according to the petitioners neither was Aurangabad ever a part of the Maratha empire, nor had Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj ever visited the place.