Key Takeaways
- Petitioners move SC for rollback of Aurangabad renaming, challenging Maharashtra government’s decision.
- Aurangabad is a world-famous heritage city and tourism capital of Maharashtra, India.
- The government’s decision to rename Aurangabad was taken illegally, without following due procedure, and with a motive to divide people on communal grounds and take political benefits.
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The matter of renaming Aurangabad as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar has reached the Supreme Court with two petitioners challenging a Bombay High Court verdict in which it upheld the Maharashtra government’s decision to do so in 2022.
Petitioners Mohammad Hisham Osmani and Sanjay Waghmare filed the petition in the Apex Court on July 16 against the High Court’s decision through Advocate Shakeel Ahmed Syed, sources said.
The Bombay High Court had dismissed on May 8 all petitions against the state government’s decision to rename Aurangabad.
Talking to UNI on Thursday, Osmani said, “We are disappointed by the High Court’s decision as it did not consider our valid points. Aurangabad is a world famous heritage city of the country and tourism capital of Maharashtra and the government has taken this decision illegally without following any due procedure, just with a motive to divide people on communal grounds and take political benefits from it.”
“We are hopeful that the Supreme Court will listen to our pleadings and do justice with us in saving this heritage and historical city of the country,” added Osmani.
The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government decided to first change the name of Aurangabad division, Aurangabad district, Aurangabad taluka, Aurangabad city, Aurangabad village to Sambhaijnagar on June 29, 2022 followed by the Eknath Shinde government’s decision to modify it to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
Feeling aggrieved by the Congress party’s active involvement in taking this decision in the MVA government, Osmani had resigned from his Congress District president’s post. Since then he is fighting a legal battle against the name change.
He has received the support of Muslim clerics and religious scholars, various organisations like All India Muslim Numainda Council, Akhil Bharatiya Ulema Board, Aurangabad naam mukhalif Committee, Tamire Millat Committee and various social organizations.
