CHHATRAPATI SAMBHAJINAGAR: Sanjay Shirsat, the district guardian minister of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, on Sunday said Khultabad’s name will be changed to Ratnapur.
Khultabad, around 30 km from here, houses the tomb of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, which is at the centre of a controversy with right-wing groups demanding its removal.
“Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar was known as Khadki in the past, but it was renamed Aurangabad. Similarly, Khultabad was earlier known as Ratnapur, but Aurangzeb named it Khultabad. We are in the process of renaming all such places, the names of which were changed by Aurangzeb,” Shirsat told reporters on Sunday.
Shirsat, a Shiv Sena politician, said the demands for memorials of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Sambhaji Maharaj at Khultabad were also under consideration. “We received different memorandums requesting the memorials of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Sambhaji Maharaj at Khultabad. Such demands will be considered positively,” he said.
Khultabad means heavenly abode. Some people have opposed the decision to rename of the place. Hisham Osmani, who waged a legal battle against the renaming of Aurangabad, said Shirsat and many other politicians were carrying forward the “divide and rule” policy of the British.
“We cannot expect any rational demand or public work from politicians like our guardian minister. He is mum on the huge drinking water crisis in the city but is vocal on other non-issues,” Osmani said.
Notably, Shirsat was among the most vocal politicians who openly supported the demand for the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb at Khultabad. Stating there was no place for Aurangzeb’s grave in Maharashtra, he described the Mughal emperor as a cruel leader. Amid threats from right-wing groups and others, police have already beefed up security measures at the tomb and are keeping a tight vigil on visitors.
