PIL Challenging Decision to Rename Aurangabad to Sambhajinagar Filed Before Bombay High Court
(Judicial Quest News Network)
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition has been filed before the Bombay High Court challenging the decision of the State Government to change the name of Aurangabad city to Sambhaji Nagar.
The Plea was filed by three Aurangabad residents; Mohammed Ahmed, Annasaheb Khandare and Rajesh More, who state that the State government had aborted its attempt to change the name of the name of Aurangabad in the year 2001.However the government led by the then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray raised the issue in his last cabinet, allegedly in an unauthorised manner, for political considerations.
The petitioners claimed erstwhile Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by former CM Thackeray had changed the name of Aurangabad to Sambhajinagar, the Shinde government added ‘Chhatrapati’ as a prefix to the name. The plea said that the decision was in complete disregard to the constitution and urged the same to gbe declared null and void.
The plea was filed through Judi care law Associate submitted that they came to know about the government’s decision to change the name, through press reports.
The petition submits that the Aurangabad was never part of Maratha rule and neither Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj nor his successors ever ruled the region wherein Aurangabad is situated.
It is further submitted that it is a painful fact of History that Chhatrapati Sambhaji was killed under the command of Aurangzed as per political ethos and expediency of the time. However the Muslims living in Aurangabad or within the Maratha rule never endorse the killing of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj under the command of the Aurangzeb.
Such events of the past arising out of tumultuous situation prevailing at that time cannot become the basis of disturbing the present day social and constitutional values.
The plea is filed by three individuals, Mohammed Ahmed,Annasaheb Khandare and Rajesh More. through Advocate Sagheer Khan of Judicare Law Associates submitted that they came to know about the government’s decision to change the name, through press reports.
It is further submitted that during Marathaand/or British rule, nobody demanded to change the name of Aurangabad, However,after the formation of Shiv Sena and other political parties in order to politicise the society on religious and sectarian lines for their political gain started picking up the issue of changing the name of Aurangabad from the year 1988….. The present government is without there being any reason is obliquely trying to change the name of Aurangabad.
The plea was filed before the principle bench of the Bombay High Court in Mumbai since the major cause of action had arisen within Mumbai.
The petition will be heard by the High Court on August 1, 2022.
