Uddhav sarkar clears proposal to rename Mumbai Central station as Nana Shankar Sheth

On Thursday, the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government approved the proposal to rename Mumbai Central railway station as Nana Shankar Sheth. The state government will send this cabinet proposal to the Centre for approval. Shiv Sena has been long demanding to change the name of Mumbai Central Terminus after Jagannath Shankar Sheth for his contribution to the city and the growth of railways in its pioneer years. He is also considered as the 'father of the Indian railways'

Shiv Sena's long-standing demand

In 2017, Shiv Sena member Arvind Sawant in the Lok Sabha had demanded that the Mumbai Central station should be rechristened after Jagannath Shankar Seth. Apart from Mumbai Central, Sawant also demanded that Charni Road station be renamed as Girgaum, Elphinstone Road as Prabhadevi, Curry Road as Lalbaug and Sandhurst Road as Dongri. Sena says most of these railway stations have colonial names.

READ | Punjab CM asks PM Modi to rename National Bravery Award after Sahibzada Baba Fateh Singh

In 2018,  the Western Railway rechristened the Elphinstone Road station as Prabhadevi. The WR had issued a notification to this effect in Mumbai after which the station, which was named after Lord Elphinstone, the Governor of Bombay Presidency from 1853 to 1860, was changed in honour of a local deity.

READ | Punjab government to rename Mohali Government College after Dr. BR Ambedkar

During the earlier Shiv Sena-BJP regime between 1995 and 1999, Victoria Terminus was rechristened as the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus.

READ | Dr. Subramanian Swamy requests PM Modi to rename Victoria Memorial as 'Rani Jhansi Smarak'

READ | 'Rename Mumbai Central Railway Station after Babasaheb Ambedkar', suggests Union Minister Ramdas Athawale

(Image credits: indiarailinfo.com)