On July 2, the Supreme Court dismissed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) challenging the Bombay High Court’s decision to uphold Maharashtra’s notifications renaming Aurangabad and Osmanabad to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Dharashiv, respectively. The Bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and S.V.N Bhatti declined to interfere with the High Court’s ruling.
Multiple petitions were initially filed in the Bombay High Court contesting the renaming of both cities and their associated revenue areas. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs approved the renaming of Aurangabad on February 24, 2023, following its earlier approval for Osmanabad on February 7, 2023.
On February 24, 2023, the Maharashtra government issued notifications formally changing the cities’ names, while the process for renaming the revenue areas was still incomplete. A draft notification was also published that day, inviting public objections to the proposed renaming of the revenue areas.
The High Court, on August 30, 2023, dismissed a batch of petitions opposing the renaming of the revenue areas, as the new names had not yet been formally notified. The challenge to the cities’ new names, however, remained. On September 15, 2023, the renaming of the revenue areas was formally notified, prompting new petitions against the changes.
Public Interest Litigations (PILs) argued that the renaming was politically motivated and incited religious discord. One petitioner alleged a campaign to change the names of all cities in Maharashtra with Muslim names. The Maharashtra government denied this, stating that naming the city after a respected figure like Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj did not carry religious connotations.
The High Court found no legal issues with the renaming notifications and refused to interfere. “The impugned notifications renaming Aurangabad and Osmanabad as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Dharashiv, respectively, do not suffer from any illegality or legal vice. Therefore, no interference is warranted. The petitions are hereby dismissed without costs.”
The petitioners then appealed to the Supreme Court, seeking to overturn the High Court’s decision and requesting a stay on the order. The current petition was filed through Advocate on Record Pulkit Agarwal.
The Supreme Court’s dismissal upholds the renaming of Aurangabad and Osmanabad, affirming the legality of the Maharashtra government’s notifications.
