The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Friday approved the renaming of Aurangabad city as “Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar” and the Osmanabad city as “Dharashiv”.
‘“Government of India [GoI] has no objection to change the name of Aurangabad as ‘Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar’ and the Osmanabad city as ‘Dharashiv’,” Under Secretary to the GoI, Shyamal Kumar Bit, said in two separate order copies.
Also read: Eknath Shinde cabinet approves renaming of Aurangabad, Osmanabad cities
It was a long-pending demand by right-wing groups in the State.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis shared the news on Twitter and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the decision. “The government under the leadership of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has done what was promised,” he said.
Renaming of Aurangabad as Sambhajinagar and Osmanabad as Dharashiv was the last Cabinet decision of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government led by Uddhav Thackeray, which collapsed last June following Mr. Shinde’s rebellion.
After coming to power, the Shinde-Fadnavis government scrapped the previous Cabinet decision and took a fresh decision.
