Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced that the state government will formally request Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Education Ministry to rename IIT Bombay as IIT Mumbai. The decision comes amid a political row triggered by Union Minister Jitendra Singh’s remarks on the nomenclature of the premier institute.
The controversy began after the Minister of State for Science and Technology, while speaking at IIT Bombay on Monday, remarked that it was fortunate the institution had not yet been renamed. “As far as IIT Bombay is concerned, thank God it still is this name. You have not changed it to Mumbai. So that’s another compliment to you. And also true for Madras. It remains IIT Madras,” Singh said during the event.
His remarks prompted a sharp reaction from Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, who said the statement reflected the government’s “mindset” regarding Mumbai’s identity.
Fadnavis Responds: ‘We Always Say Mumbai, Not Bombay’
Speaking to reporters in Nagpur on Wednesday, CM Fadnavis reminded that BJP leader Ram Naik had played a major role in officially changing the city’s name from Bombay to Mumbai.
“Everyone knows that Ram Naik had made the biggest contribution in changing the name of Bombay to Mumbai. We always say Mumbai, not Bombay. We have been consistently trying to ensure that ‘Bombay’ is replaced with Mumbai,” he said.
Fadnavis added that he would personally write to the Prime Minister and the Union Education Minister urging them to rename the institution from IIT Bombay to IIT Mumbai.
Marathi Identity to Dominate Upcoming Civic Polls
The row comes at a politically sensitive time, with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections approaching. Raj Thackeray suggested that the issue could become a significant poll narrative, centred on protecting Marathi identity.
In a post on X, the MNS chief hinted at a perceived attempt to undermine Mumbai’s traditional association with the Marathi community. He drew parallels with what he called the Centre’s “bid” to wrest Chandigarh from Punjab.
Thackeray wrote that a similar “plot” was brewing to detach Mumbai from Maharashtra. “The plot to separate Mumbai, which has always belonged to the Marathi people, from Maharashtra, was foiled by Marathi leaders and the public. 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 said.
The renewed debate over Mumbai’s nomenclature and cultural identity is expected to intensify as political parties position themselves for the upcoming civic elections.