Name dispute flares up again in India - this time for IIT

Mumbai: As the name dispute between “Bombay” and “Mumbai” intensifies, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday threw his weight behind the Marathi identity argument, saying he will ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi to officially change IIT Bombay’s name to IIT Mumbai.

Fadnavis said the Bharatiya Janata Party had played a key role in renaming the city nearly three decades ago. “The biggest contribution behind changing the name of Bombay to Mumbai belongs to Bharatiya Janata Party leader Rambhau Naik. For us, it is not Bombay but Mumbai. The traces of Bombay should be erased, and Mumbai should be everywhere. I will personally write a letter to the Prime Minister and Human Resources Minister of the country requesting them to change the name of IIT Bombay to IIT Mumbai,” he said.

His remarks came after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray criticised Union Minister Jitendra Singh for saying, “I thank God that IIT Bombay's name was not changed to IIT Mumbai.” Thackeray said the statement reflected the “mindset” of the government and claimed it betrayed discomfort with the name Mumbai.

Taking aim at the MNS chief, Fadnavis said, “Some people are not comfortable requesting that the name of the school where their children are taught be changed,” in a clear swipe at Raj Thackeray.

Earlier, in a strongly worded post on X, Thackeray lashed out at Singh. “And what is this mindset? Well, the plot to separate Mumbai—which has always belonged to the Marathi people—from Maharashtra was foiled by Marathi leaders and the public. And 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 wrote.

He alleged that the Centre prefers the name “Bombay” and is uneasy with “Mumbai,” saying, “In truth, Jitendra Singh has no connection to Mumbai, nor to Maharashtra, nor to Gujarat. He hails from Jammu... But he aims to earn praise from the top leadership by reading their minds and speaking accordingly.”

Thackeray also claimed there were ongoing attempts to gradually link Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) to Gujarat, urging Marathi people to stay alert. “On this occasion, my appeal is not just to the people of Mumbai but to all Marathi folks living in the entire MMR region: It’s time to open your eyes now. The name ‘Mumbai’ irks them because it's named after Mumbadevi, the original goddess of Mumbai, our Mumbai. All her children are the Marathi people who've lived here for generations. You and your city grate on them,” he said.