On Friday, the Maharashtra government announced that Islampur, a town in Sangli district, will be renamed as Ishwarpur. The announcement was made in the state legislature on the final day of the monsoon session.
Food and Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal informed the assembly that the decision was taken during a cabinet meeting held the day before. He added that the state government will now send the proposal to the central government for approval.
The move follows pressure from the Hindutva outfit Shiv Pratishtan, which had submitted a memorandum to the Sangli district administration demanding the name change. The group is led by Sambhaji Bhide, whose supporters had publicly vowed not to rest until their demand was fulfilled.
“This has been a long-pending issue. The demand for renaming Islampur to Ishwarpur has existed since 1986,” said a local Shiv Sena leader from the area.
