Aurangabad name change: 'You're setting a great example of cheap politics', Maharashtra AIMIM MP slams Uddhav Thackeray

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government on Wednesday renamed Aurangabad city as Sambhajinagar and Osmanabad as Dharashiv.

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New Delhi: AIMIM leader Imtiyaz Jaleel on Wednesday (June 29, 2022) slammed the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government's decision to rename Aurangabad city as Sambhajinagar and Osmanabad as Dharashiv, and said that they are setting a great example of "cheap politics". "Aurangabad has its history and no one can erase it," the AIMIM MP from Aurangabad said and alleged that MVA leaders had used the name of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj for reaping political dividends. "The ball is now in the court of the Central government. We will explore all options against this decision and we may take to the streets also," he said.

Taking potshots at Uddhav Thackeray, who resigned as Maharashtra Chief Minister after a week-long drama of resort politics, Jaleel said, "It is time to spit on the leaders of Congress and NCP. We respected the chief minister but he would have gone (from the government) in a better manner. A few days back, the CM had said the government would develop Aurangabad before renaming it. Is the development done?".

As they began losing power they took this decision...I want to tell Uddhav Ji that history can't be changed, can change names...You're setting a great example of cheap politics. Only people can decide which name of Aurangabad will stay:Imtiaz Jaleel,AIMIM MP from Aurangabad(29.6) pic.twitter.com/nKVHgdxNM5

— ANI (@ANI) June 30, 2022

Chatrapati Sambhaji, the son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was tortured to death on the orders of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb's tomb is located in Aurangabad.

Alleging that the name of Chhatrapati Sambhaji is being used for political gains, Jaleel questioned the approval to the proposal to rename Aurangabad on the day when the MVA government is about to lose the power. He was apparently referring to the floor test directed by the Maharashtra Governor on Thursday.