We made the name Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar' foolproof: CM Shinde
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (PTI): The decision to rename Aurangabad' as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar' was taken by the Maha Vikas Aghadi when its government was in the minority but the present dispensation has made it "foolproof", said Maharashtra Eknath Shinde on Saturday.
He was speaking here about a notification issued on Friday night on the change of names of Aurangabad and Osmanabad districts to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Dharashiv respectively. The districts are part of the Marathwada region.
"We have made it (renaming) foolproof. The earlier MVA government took the decision when they were in the minority and their government was about to fall. But we made it foolproof and there are hurdles over the renaming now," said Shinde.
The decision to rename Aurangabad and Osmanabad was taken in the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government's last cabinet meeting chaired by the then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on June 29, 2022, just before he resigned following a rebellion by Shinde.
However, Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who were sworn in a day later, had said the Thackeray-led dispensation's decision to rename these places was illegal as it was taken by it after the governor had asked it to prove majority in the state assembly.
In July last year, the Shinde government gave cabinet approval to rename Aurangabad and Osmanabad cities as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Dharashiv respectively.
In the MVA government's last cabinet meeting, Aurangabad was renamed as Sambhajinagar, but the Shinde government added Chhatrapati' prefix to it.
Aurangabad derives its name from the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, while Osmanabad was named for a 20th-century ruler of the princely state of Hyderabad.
Chhatrapati Sambhaji, the eldest son of warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was the second ruler of the Maratha state founded by his father. Sambhaji Maharaj was executed on Aurangzeb's orders in 1689.
Dharashiv, the name of a cave complex near Osmanabad, dates back to the 8th century as per some scholars.
The present government of Shinde-led Shiv Sena, BJP and an NCP faction under Ajit Pawar held a special cabinet meeting in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on Saturday to mark the 75th anniversary of the Marathwada Liberation Day, celebrated on September 17 annually.
Shinde also announced a package of Rs 45,000 crore for the development of the Marathwada region apart from revised administrative sanctions for irrigation projects worth Rs 14,000 crore.
Leader of the Opposition in the legislative council Ambadas Danve accused the present government of trying to grab credit for the renaming.
Addressing a press conference, he said, "The renaming of Aurangabad as Sambhajinagar was first mooted by Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray. The decision was taken by Uddhav Thackeray. If the current rulers of the state want to take credit for this renaming, then why they didn't rename the city between 2014 and 2019 when the Devendra Fadnavis government was in full majority."
Danve also slammed the state government over their announcements for Marathwada. "They are already a part of the state's budget and nothing new has been announced. If we check the announcement list of today, it is the same as those made in 2016," he said.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader also claimed that the chief minister had to cancel his stay in a private hotel after "we (opposition)" raised it.
Marathwada was once a part of the Nizam-ruled Hyderabad kingdom. It now comprises eight districts Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (earlier Aurangabad), Dharashiv (old name Osmanabad), Jalna, Beed, Latur, Nanded, Hingoli and Parbhani.
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
