Will instruct Osmanabad district authorities not to use ‘Dharashiv’ until name change procedure completed: Maharashtra govt to HC

The Maharashtra government on Thursday informed the Bombay High Court that it will not issue the final notification for the proposed name change of Osmanabad district and revenue division to “Dharashiv” until at least June 10. This announcement came after objections to the draft notification were raised, and a division bench of Acting Chief Justice Sanjay V Gangapurwala and Justice Sandeep V Marne heard pleas challenging the name change. The Maharashtra government had earlier issued a February 24 notification allowing the renaming of Osmanabad city as Dharashiv, a move that was challenged by PIL petitioner Ismail Masud Shaikh.

During the hearing, advocate Pradnya S Talekar representing Shaikh pointed out that several government communications and district authorities, including Zilla Parishad, have already begun using the name “Dharashiv” for the district, despite the objections still being underway. In response, Advocate General Birendra Saraf said that instructions would be issued to such district and revenue authorities that their names should not be changed until the procedure for change of the revenue decision is completed and the final notification is issued.

Last month, the Maharashtra government submitted an affidavit opposing the plea and told the court that the renaming of Osmanabad city as Dharashiv was celebrated by “majority people from the city” and the move neither undermined the spirit of secularism nor caused any communal rift. The government had also denied allegations by the petitioners that the change of names was a politically motivated move aimed at hate-mongering towards a certain community and undermining the spirit of secularism.

After the petitioners sought a stay in the process of receiving objections to draft notifications, AG Saraf had submitted that the said process would take nearly eight weeks and therefore, no step would be taken towards issuing the final notification until then. On Thursday, AG Saraf said that the process related to the change of the name of Osmanabad district and revenue division would take more time, at least until June 10th. The High Court will hear the pleas next on June 6.