Mumbai: Amid escalating Bombay versus Mumbai row, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said that the BJP had a big role in renaming Bombay as Mumbai, adding that he will request the Prime Minister to rename IIT Bombay as IIT Mumbai.

“The biggest contribution behind changing the name of Bombay to Mumbai belongs to Bharatiya Janata Party leader Rambhau Naik. For us, it is not Bombay but Mumbai. The traces of Bombay should be erased, and Mumbai should be everywhere. I will personally write a letter to the Prime Minister and Human Resource Minister of the country requesting them to change the name of IIT Bombay to IIT Mumbai,” said the Chief Minister.

His remarks came after the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray slammed the Union Minister Jitendra Singh for his statement that “I thank God that IIT Bombay’s name was not changed to IIT Mumbai.” 

He further claimed that it clearly appears to be a symbol of the government’s mindset.

“Some people are not comfortable requesting that the name of the school where their children are taught be changed,” taunted Fadnavis while taking a swipe at Raj Thackeray. 

Earlier, Raj Thackeray strongly criticised Union Minister Singh.

In his post on X, he said, “And what is this mindset? Well, the plot to separate Mumbai—which has always belonged to the Marathi people—from Maharashtra was foiled by Marathi leaders and the public. And 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,” said Raj Thackeray in his strongly worded post on X.

He indicated that the government appears uncomfortable with the name "Mumbai" and prefers "Bombay" instead. 

“In truth, Jitendra Singh has no connection to Mumbai, nor to Maharashtra, nor to Gujarat. He hails from Jammu... But he aims to earn praise from the top leadership by reading their minds and speaking accordingly,” he remarked. 

Attempts are being made to connect Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) to Gujarat, alleges Raj Thackeray

He claimed there are ongoing attempts to gradually connect Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) to Gujarat, urging Marathi people to take note of these developments.

“On this occasion, my appeal is not just to the people of Mumbai but to all Marathi folks living in the entire MMR region: It's time to open your eyes now. The name ‘Mumbai’ irks them because it’s named after Mumbadevi, the original goddess of Mumbai, our Mumbai. All her children are the Marathi people who've lived here for generations. You and your city grate on them,” said Raj Thackeray.

“Today, the central government tried to wrest the city of Chandigarh from Punjab's control. It faced all-party opposition, so they backed off, but that retreat is only temporary. Something similar is 100 per cent brewing in Mumbai's case. They don't want Mumbai, they want Bombay,” he said.

He also noted that an attempt to quietly take control of the city is definitely underway. 

“First Mumbai, and then the entire MMR region will be seized and linked to Gujarat! So wake up, Marathi people. We're already seeing every day how central agents, industrialists, and the like have started taking over everything here! It's high time the Marathi people realise this,” he said.

(IANS)