The Bombay High Court has ordered that the name of Aurangabad should not be changed on government documents until a final decision is taken regarding the proposed renaming of the city to Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar. This decision comes after a petition was filed against the renaming of Aurangabad and Osmanabad by the central government.
The central government had approved the proposal to change the name of Aurangabad district to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. However, a group of petitioners approached the Bombay High Court against the decision. During the hearing, the petitioners alleged that the campaign to change the name has been undertaken urgently in the Muslim-majority divisions.
The petitioners presented their position, complaining in the High Court that Sambhajinagar has been openly mentioned and used in the post offices, revenue, local police, and courts of the city. The court has ordered that the names on government documents should not be changed until the hearing. If any changes have already been made, they should be stopped immediately.
The hearing on the petition regarding the name change has been adjourned till June 7. The petitioners have received a big relief with the court's decision, which has put a hold on any immediate change of the name on official documents.
The proposed renaming of Aurangabad and Osmanabad has been a contentious issue in Maharashtra, with some groups welcoming the decision and others opposing it. The decision was seen as a move to honor the Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Sambhaji, the son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. However, the opposition argued that the decision was taken without proper consultation and would lead to unnecessary expenses for the state. The Bombay High Court's order is likely to have a significant impact on the fate of the proposed renaming.