THE BRIHANMUMBAI Municipal Corporation is set to consider proposals to name a public garden after Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar and a traffic junction after George Fernandes. Golwalkar was the second chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, while Fernandes was a socialist trade unionist who later served as defence minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government between 1998 and 2004. The decision will be ratified in the general body meeting on March 17 when 227 corporators will vote to finalise the name.
According to BMC documents, the proposals were originally submitted when the civic body was under an administrator between March 2022 and February 2026.
The proposal to name a garden at Mahavir Nagar in Kandivali after Golwalkar was submitted by BJP corporator Priyanka More in March 2024. The proposal to name a traffic junction in south Mumbai’s Fort area after Fernandes was submitted by the Municipal Engineer’s Association in June 2025.
Under the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, proposals to name new public infrastructure or rename roads are submitted by the local corporator to the ward office, after which they are placed before the civic council for approval and later implemented by the administration.
“When these proposals were sent to the administration, the BMC was under an administrator’s rule since the body of elected representatives was dissolved. The commissioner who was acting as the administrator back then did not approve the resolution. Now it will be discussed in the general body meeting on March 17 when 227 corporators will vote to finalise the name,” a civic official said.
At present, no public place in Mumbai has been named after Fernandes or Golwalkar. The traffic junction proposed to be named after Fernandes is located on Dadabhai Naoroji Road in the Fort area.
“The Mahayuti comprising the BJP and Shiv Sena has a majority, so they will be able to easily pass this proposal, but what I want to say is it is absolutely unfair to name a public space after an RSS leader who had absolutely zero contribution in India’s freedom struggle. The BJP is known for its name changing politics and this is not anything new,” Ashraf Azmi, leader of the Congress in the BMC, told The Indian Express.
Story continues below this ad
Fernandes was a prominent trade union leader in Mumbai in the 1960s and played a key role in the commissioning of the Konkan Railway linking Mangaluru and Mumbai. He later served as defence minister during the Kargil war.
Golwalkar served as the second and longest-serving Sarsanghchalak of the RSS from 1940 to 1973.
Pratip Acharya is a seasoned journalist based in Mumbai reporting for The Indian Express. With a career spanning over a decade, his work demonstrates strong Expertise and Authority in critical urban issues, civic affairs, and electoral politics across Eastern and Western India.
Expertise & Authority
Current Role: Journalist, The Indian Express (IE), reporting from Mumbai.
Core Authority: Pratip's reporting focuses sharply on local democracy and development, specializing in:
Urban Governance and Civic Affairs: Providing in-depth analysis of municipal decision-making, city planning, and local infrastructure, essential for informed urban reporting.
City Politics and Environment: Covering the political dynamics of Mumbai and surrounding areas, alongside critical environmental challenges impacting the metro region.
Electoral Coverage (High-Stakes Experience): He has extensive experience in high-stakes political reporting, having covered major elections, establishing his Trustworthiness in political analysis:
National: Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and 2019.
State: West Bengal Assembly elections in 2016 and Maharashtra Assembly elections in 2019.
Major Assignments (Ground Reporting): Pratip demonstrated commitment during crises by conducting ground reporting throughout the Covid-19 pandemic since its breakout in 2020, offering first-hand accounts and analysis of the public health crisis.
Experience
Extensive Experience: Starting his career in 2014, Pratip has built his foundation across multiple prominent English dailies:
Started at The Times of India in Kolkata (2014).
Relocated to Mumbai (2016) and worked with The Free Press Journal and Hindustan Times before joining The Indian Express.
Pratip Acharya's diverse experience across major publications, coupled with his specialized focus on the intricate details of urban governance and a track record of covering major electoral and health crises, establishes him as a trusted and authoritative source for news from India's critical metropolitan centres. ... Read More
