Mumbai, Nov 26 (NationPress) The enduring dispute surrounding the name of Maharashtra's capital -- "Mumbai" versus "Bombay" -- has reignited following comments made by Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh at a recent IIT Mumbai event. He expressed relief that IIT Bombay's designation remains unchanged, asserting that, similar to IIT Madras, IIT Bombay should keep its original name.

Raj Thackeray, chief of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), harshly criticized Singh's remarks, claiming they reflect the government's perspective. Thackeray stated, "What is this perspective? The scheme to detach Mumbai -- which has always belonged to the Marathi populace -- from Maharashtra was thwarted by Marathi leaders and the community. Our Marathi Mumbai has stayed in Maharashtra. Now, the resentment that's been brewing for decades is beginning to surface once more," in a post on X. He suggested that the central government is uncomfortable with the name "Mumbai" and favors "Bombay".

Thackeray further asserted, "In reality, Jitendra Singh has no ties to Mumbai, Maharashtra, or Gujarat. He originates from Jammu... but his goal is to curry favor with the higher-ups by voicing their sentiments." He accused the government of trying to connect Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) to Gujarat and urged the Marathi population to remain vigilant.

"Today, my message is directed not only to the residents of Mumbai but to all Marathi individuals within the entire MMR area: it's time to awaken. The name 'Mumbai' disturbs them because it honors Mumbadevi, the original goddess of Mumbai -- our Mumbai. All her children are the Marathi inhabitants who have dwelled here for generations. You and your city irritate them," Thackeray added.

He also cautioned that the Centre had previously attempted to take control of Chandigarh from Punjab and, after facing opposition from all parties, retreated -- but he deemed that a temporary retreat and indicated that a similar scheme is "100 percent brewing" for Mumbai.

"They desire 'Bombay' -- not 'Mumbai'. This is a covert effort to seize control of the city. First Mumbai, then the entire MMR will be annexed and associated with Gujarat! So awaken, Marathi populace. We are witnessing daily how central agents, industrialists, and others have begun to dominate everything here! It's crucial for the Marathi community to recognize this," he emphasized.

Thackeray's critique of Minister Singh comes ahead of the forthcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections, where he and his cousin Uddhav Thackeray -- leader of Shiv Sena (UBT) -- are expected to jointly campaign on safeguarding the "Marathi Manoos" and appealing to voters to counter perceived attempts by the BJP-led Centre to "detach" Mumbai from Maharashtra. MNS supporters have reportedly placed banners outside the IIT campus stating "IIT Mumbai, Not IIT Bombay".

The BJP responded to Raj Thackeray's statements by accusing him of making "freestyle allegations" and engaging in politics devoid of facts. State party media in-charge Navnath Ban highlighted that the decision to officially adopt the name "Mumbai" occurred under the Shiv Sena-BJP administration in the state, and pointed out that it was a BJP leader who initially promoted the use of "Mumbai" at the national level.

"It was BJP’s Ram Naik who first referred to it as 'Mumbai' in Parliament, establishing this change at a national level," Ban stated, suggesting that Raj Thackeray may have forgotten this history, possibly due to his desire to align with Uddhav Thackeray. "While the central government is providing world-class connectivity to Mumbai–MMR, some individuals become politically disoriented, which is why the Gujarat issue gets invoked. In truth, the central government is advancing major initiatives for the development of Mumbai–MMR. Through projects like the Metro, bullet train, coastal road connectivity, and multimodal corridors, we can elevate the nation's financial capital to a global stature," the BJP's statement read.

Ban further asserted that witnessing development projects causes "some individuals' political nausea" to rise, leading to the creation of a "bogus Gujarat bogey" for fear-mongering politics. He encouraged Mumbaikars to support Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis as the leader who will "propel Maharashtra to the forefront."