Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Nov 26: A remark by Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh about IIT Bombay “retaining its name” instead of changing it to Mumbai has triggered a fresh political storm, with civic polls nearing and MNS chief Raj Thackeray raising the banner of Marathi pride.
Speaking at an IIT Bombay event on Monday, Singh had said, “Thank God, IIT Bombay has still retained its name… you have not changed it to Mumbai. It is true for Madras. It remains IIT Madras.”
The comment drew a sharp response from Raj Thackeray, who accused the Union minister of reflecting a “mindset” against Mumbai’s Marathi identity. In a post on X, Thackeray said the plan to separate Mumbai from Maharashtra had been defeated by Marathi leaders and people, adding that “bitterness” against the city’s Marathi roots was again coming to the surface.
Claiming Singh had no link with Mumbai, Maharashtra or Gujarat, Thackeray alleged the minister made the remark to win favour with top leaders. “They hate the name ‘Mumbai’ because it is named after Mumbadevi, the original goddess of the city. Her children are the Marathi people who have lived here for generations,” he said, urging Maharashtrians to “open their eyes”.
Thackeray also linked the issue to the Centre’s earlier attempt to alter Chandigarh’s administrative status, warning that a similar agenda could be in play for Mumbai. He alleged a gradual attempt to “take over” Mumbai by pushing the use of “Bombay” and claimed that efforts were on to connect the Mumbai Metropolitan Region with Gujarat.
BJP terms allegations baseless
Rejecting the charges, state BJP media in-charge Navnath Ban said the party had played a key role in renaming Bombay to Mumbai. “The renaming was done under a BJP-led government at the Centre and the state. It was senior BJP leader Ram Naik who first raised the demand in Parliament,” he said.
Ban added that Mumbai witnessed its highest development under the BJP government and accused Raj Thackeray of ignoring facts.
From Bombay to Mumbai: A long history
According to legend, the area was once troubled by a demon named Mumbaraka, prompting the Koli community to pray to Lord Brahma, who then created Goddess Mumba to slay him. Another theory traces the name to the Portuguese word ‘Bombai’, meaning ‘good bay’, which later evolved into Bombay under British rule.
The official renaming to Mumbai took place in March 1995 under the Shiv Sena–BJP coalition government led by Manohar Joshi, with approval from the NDA government headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The move honoured Mumbadevi, the presiding deity worshipped in the island city.
A historic battle for statehood
Mumbai also stood at the centre of a fierce dispute during the linguistic reorganisation of states, with both Maharashtra and Gujarat laying claim to the city. The conflict led to the Samyukta Maharashtra Movement (1956–1960), during which over 100 people lost their lives fighting to keep Mumbai within Maharashtra.
Prominent leaders of the movement included Shripad Dange, Shreedhar Joshi, Narayan Gore, Prahlad Atre, Keshav Thackeray, Pandurang Bapat and Annabhau Sathe, among others.
The movement has recently been invoked by NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut during Opposition protests over alleged vote fraud and the push to make Hindi a compulsory third language.