The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) organised a rally on Thursday morning in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, to celebrate the renaming of the city to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, a decision taken by the union government. However, the police restricted the rally at Shahgunj, leading to the arrest of several MNS activists.
The MNS claimed that people had been waiting for the renaming of the city for the past 35 years and that their dreams had finally come true. The 'Swapnapurti' rally was planned from Raja Bazar to Divisional Commissionerate at 11 am. However, the police administration, considering the law and order situation, refused permission for the rally.
Around 800 MNS activists had gathered at Sansthan Ganpati in Raja Bazar for the rally and shouted slogans. The police stopped the rally by erecting barricades at Shahgunj. As the activists were not ready to listen, the police arrested them.
MNS leaders Prakash Mahajan, Dr Shivaji Kanhere, Santosh Dhotre, Satnamsingh Gulati, district president Sumit Khambekar, Ashish Suradkar, Ashok Pawar, Gajanan Gauda Patil, Rahul Patil, Bipin, Vaibhav Mitkar, and women activists participated in the rally in large numbers despite heavy rains.
MP Imtiyaaz Jaleel has started an agitation against the decision to rename the city. While several people have welcomed the decision, some have opposed it.
The police administration has been keeping a close eye on the situation to ensure that there are no incidents of violence or unrest in the city. The MNS has been known to be vocal about its stance on various issues, and the police are taking all necessary measures to maintain peace and order in the city.