Islampur is now Ishwarpur: Fadnavis govt renames Maharashtra city on last day of state Assembly's monsoon session

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis

The Maharashtra government on Friday announced that Islampur in Sangli district is being renamed as Ishwarpur. The announcement was made on the last day of the monsoon session of the state assembly.

The decision was taken at the cabinet meeting on Thursday, food and civil supplies minister Chhagan Bhujbal told the legislative assembly. He said the Maharashtra government will send the cabinet decision to the Centre for approval.

The move came after a Hindutva organization, Shiv Pratisthan, sent a memorandum to the Sangli collectorate demanding that Islampur's name be changed to Ishwarpur. The organisation is headed by Sambhaji Bhide whose supporters have said that they would not rest until the demand is met.

According to news agency PTI, a Shiv Sena leader from Islampur said that the demand for a change in name has been pending since 1986.

Several cities and prominent roads have been renamed after PM Narendra Modi-led BJP government came to power in 2014. While the historic city of Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh was renamed to Prayagraj, Delhi’s famed Feroz Shah Kotla Cricket Stadium was renamed as Arun Jaitley Stadium in honor of former Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who passed away in August 2019.

In 2024, the Centre renamed Port Blair, the capital city of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, to 'Shri Vijaya Puram'. The city was named after Captain Archibald Blair, a British colonial navy official of the East India Company.

Announcing the name change, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said, "Inspired by the vision of PM Modi, to free the nation from the colonial imprints, today we have decided to rename Port Blair as 'Sri Vijaya Puram'. While the earlier name had a colonial legacy, Sri Vijaya Puram symbolises the victory achieved in our freedom struggle and the A&N Islands' unique role in the same."