Another rift within MVA as Congress vows to oppose renaming of Aurangabad as Sambhajinagar

In another sign of rift within the Maha Vikas Aghadi, Congress announced that it will oppose any proposal to rename Aurangabad to Sambhajinagar. The renaming of Aurangabad has been Shiv Sena's longstanding demand. Addressing the media on Thursday, Maharashtra Congress president and state Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat maintained that this issue does not find a mention in the MVA's Common Minimum Programme. 

In a veiled dig at the Sena, Thorat added that the life of the common person cannot be improved by changing the names of cities. He stressed that the three-party alliance's agenda was limited to empowering the common person. This comes in the wake of Congress openly expressing its displeasure at Sena MP Sanjay Raut's criticism of its party leadership citing that a "weak opposition is bad for democracy", Raut demanded that NCP supremo Sharad Pawar should replace Sonia Gandhi as the UPA chairperson.

Read: MVA Govt Stirs Another Row With BJP; Reminds Of Local Opposition To Centre's Vadhavan Port

Maharashtra Congress president Balasaheb Thorat remarked, "This is not included in the Common Minimum Programme. Congress does not believe in changing names but focusing on development. The development of the common person cannot take place by changing names. The agenda of the Maha Vikas Aghadi is to empower the common person and make him happy. If such a proposal comes up, we will oppose it."

Read: Congress Warns Shiv Sena Over Remark On UPA: 'Being In MVA Govt Not A Priority For Us'

Demand for renaming Aurangabad

Aurangabad was a prominent Mughal city in the Deccan region and derives its name from the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. On the other hand, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, the son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was tortured to death by Aurangzeb. In 1995, a proposal was passed in the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation to rename the city as Sambhajinagar. However, it was challenged by Congress corporator Mushtaq Ahmed in the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court. As his plea was rejected by the HC, Ahmed moved the Supreme Court which stayed the process of renaming the city. 

Incidentally, it was Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray who had publicly promised to rename Aurangabad in August 2015. Welcoming the New Delhi Municipal Council’s decision to rename Aurangzeb Road in Delhi as Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Road, Thackeray called for Aurangabad to be renamed as Sambhajinagar. He assured that requisite resolutions would be passed in this regard as the Sena was in power both at the Centre and in Maharashtra.

Read: No Plans To Topple Maharashtra Govt, Congress May Withdraw MVA Support: NDA-ally Athawale