Will instruct authorities not to refer to Aurangabad as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar till name change procedure is completed: Maha govt to Bombay HC

Senior counsel Yusuf Muchhala for the petitioners also drew the attention of the Court towards an alleged campaign to change the names of cities with Muslim names without following laid down procedures. He stated that such acts were contrary to the Supreme Court’s observations in various cases.

Muchhala said the chief minister had merely taken a political decision. He added that certain events in history were being politicised to take revenge against a certain community.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Sanjay V Gangapurwala and Justice Sandeep V Marne was hearing pleas challenging the renaming of Aurangabad.

On February 24, the MHA gave a no-objection letter for changing the name of Aurangabad city and, thereafter, a Gazette notification was issued by the state government changing the names of cities.

In an affidavit in reply to the pleas, the government denied allegations by the petitioners that the change of name was a politically motivated move aimed at hate mongering towards a certain community and undermining the spirit of secularism.

Saraf had told the bench that notifications for changing the names of two cities including Osmanabad had been issued. He said the state had issued a draft notification for the renaming of the two districts and village revenue divisions, adding the same was at the stage of receiving objections against the renaming.

However, lawyers representing the petitioners pointed out that several government communications and district authorities, including the Zilla Parishad, have already begun using the name Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar for the district.

In response, Saraf said instructions will be issued to district and revenue authorities that the name should not be changed till the procedure for the name change is completed and a final notification is issued in that regard.

Muchhala submitted that the government rushed through the decision without considering objections to the same and flouted procedural norms. He referred to a past Supreme Court judgment and argued, “The whole campaign is going on to change the names of cities in Maharashtra which had Muslim names. This tendency has to be curbed and nipped in the bud. The court should take judicial note of a specific campaign. All decisions taken by the state government and chief minister were without any backing of the law and were just political decisions.”

“In the present, the country cannot remain a prisoner of the past. Certain events happened due to political ethos… why history is now politicised and weaponised to humiliate certain groups and to take revenge. How long will you keep the pot boiling? It has to stop,” Muchhalla added.

However, Saraf submitted that the state government has followed all due procedures, and the naming of a city after Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, who is held in high esteem by people, is not a matter of religion.

“The parties are put to notice that endeavour shall be made to decide the matter finally at the stage of admission on June 7,” the bench noted.