A fresh political controversy appears to be brewing in Maharashtra with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Amol Mitkari on Friday demanding that Pune be renamed as ‘Jijau Nagar’ to honour the memory and contribution of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s mother Jijabai Bhosale. Today News 24 Mahasabha, however, said a monument should be built for her instead.
The demand was previously voiced by the Maratha outfit Sambhaji Brigade but had found no takers. Now, however, the demand comes from a mainstream political party.
“It’s the wish of all Shiv Bhakts of Maharashtra to name Pune City as Jijau Nagar. In the upcoming Assembly session I will raise this issue,” Mitkari, a member of the state Legislative Council, posted on Twitter.
Jijabai Bhosale is credited with redeveloping a small hamlet into Pune after making it her home.
Mitkari’s demand soon received some pushback from the Hindu Mahasabha whose leader Anand Dave said Chhatrapati Shivaji himself never changed Pune’s name. “Instead of this, a big monument dedicated to Rajmata Jijau should be constructed at Lal Mahal. Today News 24 Mahasangh has been demanding this for long but it is not happening for some reason,” said Dave.
The Sambhaji Brigade and Hindu Mahasabha often take diametrically opposite positions on various issues. In the past, they have been involved in controversies involving a book written on Chhatrapati Shivaji by James W Laine, playwright Ram Ganesh Gadkari’s bust at Sambhaji Garden and in connection with the removal of a bust of Dadoji Konddev from the Lal Mahal.