AURANAGABAD: Aurangabad was renamed to gain political mileage, not for the love of Chhatrapati Sambhaji, All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MP Imtiaz Jaleel said on Tuesday.
A march was organised by Aurangabad Namantar Virodhi Sangharsh Samiti to protest the renaming of the district to Sambhajinagar.
The march began from Bhadkal gate and turned into a public meeting on Aamkhas Maidan.
"The decision to rename Aurangabad to Sambhajinagar was taken for political mileage. When the chair was shaken, the decision was taken. We are not parties that sit when we are told to sit. Even in the Parliament we are not scared. The people of Aurangabad will decide about the renaming," Jaleel said.
The previous Maha Vikas Aghadi government, in its last cabinet meeting on June 29, had approved proposals to rename Aurangabad as Sambhajinagar and Osmanabad as Dharashiv.
"We have never used the names of Chhatrapati Sambhaji and Shivaji Maharaj for political mileage. If you (government) have to name a city after Chhatrapati Sambhaji, then build a new city and we shall come with a proposal to name it after Sambhaji," the AIMIM leader said.
While people in Aurangabad are struggling to get jobs and grappling with water crisis, the government will not fulfil these basic needs, but it will instead rename the district, he said.