Mumbai: The Maharashtra government will write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the education ministry seeking to change the name of IIT Bombay to Mumbai, CM Devendra Fadnavis said amid a row over Union minister Jitendra Singh’s remarks on the nomenclature of the premier institute.
The Minister of State for Science and Technology had said that thankfully, IIT Bombay’s name is not changed to Mumbai, inviting a sharp reaction from MNS chief Raj Thackeray, who said the remarks show the government’s mindset.
“As far as IIT Bombay is concerned, thank God it still is this name. You have not changed it to Mumbai. So that’s another compliment to you. And also true for Madras. It remains IIT Madras,” Singh had said, addressing a function at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay on Monday. So that’s another compliment to you. And also true for Madras. It remains IIT Madras,” he said, drawing sharp criticism from MNS chief Raj Thackeray.
Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, Fadnavis stressed the historical contribution of BJP leader Ram Naik in renaming the city from Bombay to Mumbai.
“First of all, everyone knows that BJP leader Ram Naik had made the biggest contribution in changing (the name of) Bombay to Mumbai. We always say Mumbai, and not Bombay. We have been consistently trying to ensure that ‘Bombay’ be replaced with Mumbai,” he said.
Fadnavis added, “I will write a letter to the Prime Minister and the HRD (Education) Minister to change the name of IIT Bombay to IIT Mumbai.”
The debate has also been picked up by Raj Thackeray, who linked it to the larger issue of Marathi identity and the upcoming Mumbai civic polls. He compared the situation to the Central government’s earlier attempt to “wrest” Chandigarh from Punjab, warning that a similar move might be underway in Mumbai. “Our Marathi Mumbai remained in Maharashtra. Now, the bitterness that’s been festering in their bellies for decades is starting to spill out once again,” he said, urging Marathi residents to remain vigilant.
MNS workers on Wednesday displayed a banner outside IIT Bombay, “renaming” the institution as IIT Mumbai. Former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya also confirmed that the state government would send a formal proposal to the Centre and added that the Bombay High Court should similarly be renamed as Mumbai High Court.
The city, formerly known as Bombay, was officially renamed Mumbai in 1995 to honour the local goddess Mumbadevi, and to shed remnants of British colonial rule.
