Renaming row: Right-wing group tears down ‘Islampur’ signboard in Maharashtra
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Maharashtra: Members of the right-wing organisation Shivpratishthan Hindusthan tore down an “Islampur” signboard in Sangli district, citing alleged non-cooperation in replacing signage after the city’s official renaming to Ishwarpur.
The organisation, which describes itself as working to build a “Hindustan beyond national borders,” removed the signboard installed at the Tarun Bharat Vyayam Mandal’s main square on April 29 as a symbolic protest.
A video shared on the group’s official Instagram account shows three to four individuals climbing the structure, with one member using a knife to cut through the green plastic board displaying “Islampur”. The group then threw it down and stomped on it repeatedly, calling it a symbolic rejection of the name.
“In deliberate defiance of the decision taken and the ordinance issued by the Maharashtra State Government on November 3, 2025, an individual from Kolhapur today installed directional signboards at various locations in Sangli—renaming ‘Ishwarpur’ to ‘Islampur,’” the organisation alleged.
The Hindutva group claimed that the continued presence of “Islampur” signboards was a “calculated ploy” aimed at undermining the authority of the newly appointed district Collector, Superintendent of Police, and Commissioner.
Stating that they acted to prevent a possible breakdown of law and order, the volunteers said they first informed the police and the Commissioner before removing the signboard themselves. The organisation also said similar boards at other locations were taken down and handed over to officials, warning that they would continue such actions if necessary.
The Maharashtra government had renamed Islampur to Ishwarpur in November 2025, with State Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule stating the decision was based on “public demand”.
Under the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Mahayuti government, several cities in Maharashtra have been renamed, often replacing Mughal-era names, a move strongly supported by Hindutva ideology. Earlier changes include Aurangabad to Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar and Osmanabad to Dharashiv in 2023, Ahmednagar to Ahilyanagar in 2024, and the recent change to Ishwarpur.