Khushi Thapa, Mumbai Uncensored, 7th July 2022:
The Bombay High Court on Monday ordered the Maharashtra government to respond to a PIL that asks for the renaming of the Dindoshi metro train station to Pathanwadi within two weeks.
The high court ordered the petitioner to deposit Rs. 1 lakh before the hearing on June 9.
A PIL was filed by Naee Roshni social organisation by advocate Sahood Anwar Naqvi against MMRDA and others, claiming that MMRDA breached its own policies in 2019 when it renamed the station to Dindoshi under political influence. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which tried to subvert the station names on Mumbai Metro lines 2A and 7, was the subject of the appeal filed on July 18, 2019.
In spite of RTI responses noting that Dindoshi is a “revenue village” and not the “closest wadi,” the petitioner claimed that the name “Pathanwadi” was changed to “Dindoshi” under excessive political pressure and demands from two MLAs, Atul Bhatkhalkar and Sunil Prabhu. The complaint alleged that the name was “arbitrary,” hurt the citizens’ feelings, and violated their fundamental rights.
