Mumbai: The Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government has decided to ban all liquor vends from using names of gods and goddesses, saints, 56 national heroes listed by the administration, and the state’s 105 historical forts. The government says naming liquor vends after them dilutes their sanctity, and can pollute the state’s social and religious environment.
According to the order, shops selling liquor will be given time till 30 June this year to legally change their names.
“The state government is of the opinion that naming liquor shops after gods, goddesses or even places of worship of any religion is disrespectful and should not be allowed. Similarly, naming liquor shops after saints, our national heroes, and forts hurts social, religious, and spiritual sentiments. Our forts have been witness to the golden history of the state and their sanctity should be maintained,” a state government official told ThePrint on the condition of anonymity.
The official added that many public representatives had raised this issue in the legislature over the years, and the state government has given assurances in the past that it will ban liquor shops from using such names.
Shiv Sena MLC Manisha Kayande, one of the public representatives who had raised this issue in the assembly through a private member’s bill last month, told ThePrint this has been a recurring demand from several groups.
“But somehow, the state government did not implement it all these years, probably because it needs coordination between multiple departments. Also, among Hindus we say there are 33 crore Gods, so to implement such a decision, there had to be a concise list. I am glad that the government under Uddhav ji has accepted it and passed a decision,” Kayande said.
Also read: Uddhav cracks down on pet ‘Shiv Bhojan’ scheme for cheap meals as complaints raise a stink
The list of banned names
Other than the obvious names of historical rulers such as Chhatrapati Shivaji, social activists such as Mahatma Phule and Savitribai Phule, political figures like Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, CM Thackeray’s father and grandfather, Bal Thackeray and Keshav Thackeray, and Hindutva ideologue V.D. Savarkar
Former prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh are also on the list, as are former presidents Dr Rajendra Prasad, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Pratibha Patil and Pranab Mukherjee.
Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind are not mentioned by name, the list also includes the incumbent PM and President.
The list of banned fort names is an exhaustive one, including forts in Mumbai such as Sion, Dharavi, Mahim, and Worli forts, among others.
(Edited by Manoj Ramachandran)
Also Read: Shiv Sena-led BMC unveils record budget in poll year, with an ‘Aaditya Thackeray’ imprint