Thank you PM Modi, Amit Shah: Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde after Centre approves renaming of Aurangabad, Osmanabad

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. File Pic

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday welcomed the Centre's decision to approve the renaming of Maharashtra's Aurangabad city as 'Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar' and that of Osmanabad city as 'Dharashiv'.

While thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, CM Shinde said that the renaming of Aurangabad and Osmanabad is a historical step.

"This is a historical step. I thank PM Modi and Amit Shah," CM Shinde said.

He further said that it was Hinduhridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray's dream to rename Aurangabad city as 'Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar' and Osmanabad city as 'Dharashiv'. "His dream has finally been fulfilled," the Maharashtra chief minister added.

"Eight months ago, this new coalition government came to power in Maharashtra. After that, the cabinet approved the proposal to change the names of both cities and the legislature also passed a resolution in this regard. This is a historic step and the people of the state are thankful to the central government," CM Shinde said.

Also Read: Maharashtra: Name change of Aurangabad and Osmanabad cities gets Centre's nod

The Union government has approved the renaming of Maharashtra's Aurangabad city as 'Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar' and that of Osmanabad city as 'Dharashiv'.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis shared the news on Twitter on Friday.

Fadnavis tweeted two letters from the Ministry of Home Affairs to the deputy secretary of the state General Administration Department dated February 24.

The letters stated that the Centre had no objection to the change in the names of these two central Maharashtra cities.

Fadnavis thanked PM Narendra Modi and Amit Shah for the decision.

The state government headed by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde 'did what was promised', he said.

To rename Aurangabad as Sambhajinagar and Osmanabad as Dharashiv was the last cabinet decision of the Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)-Congress government, which collapsed last June following Shinde's rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray.

The new government headed by Shinde scrapped the cabinet decision and took a fresh decision.