The Maharashtra Legislative Council has approved a proposal to rename seven stations on the Mumbai local train network. The Shiv Sena, BJP, and NCP, headed by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, will now submit the new names to the central government for approval. The proposal, which was presented by State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandrakant Patil, was unanimously approved. It is contended that the majority of station names on the Mumbai local train network are in English and are indicative of colonial heritage.
The proposition proposes that the name of Curry Road station be changed to Lalbaug, Sandhurst Road to Dongri, Marine Lines to Mumbadevi, and Charni Road to Girgaon. The name of Sandhurst Road will be amended on both the Central Line and the Harbour Line. Cotton Green will be renamed Kalachowki, Dockyard Road to Mazgaon, and King Circle to Tirthankar Parsvnath and other stations. Previously, the names of stations in Mumbai were changed, including the historic Victoria Terminus, which was renamed Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, and Elphinstone Road, which was renamed “Prabhadevi.”
At the same time, the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, Ambadas Danve, asked about the possibility of renaming the airport in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar City. Aurangabad Airport continues to be the name of this airport. Vice President Neelam Gorhe refused Danve’s request for a discussion, asserting that the relevant minister could address his question at a later time. Aurangabad and Osmanabad districts in the Marathwada region were previously renamed Sambhajinagar and Dharashiv, respectively, by the Maharashtra government. The NDA parties are believed to have authorized the name change proposal as a nationalist measure in anticipation of the assembly elections.
