Maharashtra Government on Friday announced that Islampur in Sangli district is being renamed as Ishwarpur.
The announcement was made in the state legislature on the last day of the monsoon session.
The move came after a Hindutva organization, Shiv Pratisthan, sent a memorandum to the Sangli collectorate demanding that Islampur’s name be changed to Ishwarpur.
Shiv Pratishtan is headed by Sambhaji Bhide whose supporters have said that they would not rest until the demand is met.
A Shiv Sena leader from Islampur said that the demand for a change in name has been pending since 1986.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said, "What will merely changing names achieve. The ones involved in hooliganism are roaming around you, bring change in that too."
Congress MLA Aslam Shaikh said, "Rename Islampur as Ishwarpur, do everything but besides this, also work for the welfare of the city. There is no proper drinking water facility and roads there. There are no gardens and playgrounds there. People are living in bad to worse condition. So, how long will you fool people like this?"
Samajwadi Party MLA Rais Shaikh said, "Develop the city whose name you are changing; changing the name doesn’t change the situation."
Congress MLA Amin Patel said, "This government is trying to mislead people by constantly changing names instead of focusing on real issues like employment, education, and healthcare."
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