Renaming of Osmanabad, Aurangabad didn’t undermine spirit of secularism: Maharashtra govt to HC

The state government also filed a separate reply opposing the plea, which challenged the decision to allow the renaming of Aurangabad city as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

Representing the state government, Advocate General Birendra Saraf told a division bench of Acting Chief Justice Sanjay V Gangapurwala and Justice Sandeep V Marne that notifications for changing name of two cities had been issued. He said the state had issued draft notification for renaming of the two districts and village revenue divisions, adding the same were at the stage of receiving objections against the renaming, Saraf submitted.

The affidavit filed by Vitthal Bhaskar, under secretary, state’s General Administration Department (GAD), claimed that the reasons to change name of Osmanabad to Dharashiv “neither led to any religious or communal hatred, nor any rift between communal groups.” The affidavit further said, “To the contrary, the majority of people celebrated after the change of name of Osmanabad to Dharashiv.”

Both the affidavits said the principal seat of the HC in Mumbai ought not to entertain the PILs against renaming of the two cities due to lack of territorial jurisdiction, adding the petitioners could have approached the Aurangabad bench of the HC.

While the petitioners sought stay on the process of receiving objections to draft notifications, AG Saraf said that the said process would take nearly eight weeks and therefore, no step will be taken towards issuing final notification until then. The bench scheduled the PILs for hearing next month.