A controversy over the regional name and the British given name has once again erupted in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). A restaurant named “Bombay Dhaba” on the Mumbai–Nashik National Highway in Bhiwandi came into the spotlight after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray objected to it.
Raj Thackeray was travelling from Kalyan towards Bhiwandi during municipal election campaigning when he noticed that a dhaba was still operating under the name “Bombay Dhaba”.
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Following his instructions, MNS workers immediately reached the spot, tore down the signboard and pressured the dhaba owner to change the name. MNS workers said the use of the name “Bombay” goes against Maharashtra’s identity and Mumbai’s Marathi ethos.
After the incident, the dhaba owner said he would change the name within eight days. The incident took place amid municipal election campaigning, where issues related to Marathi identity and local pride have intensified the political atmosphere.