Maharashtra assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar has urged the state government led by CM Eknath Shinde to rename Alibaug as ‘Maynaknagri’ in the memory of admiral Maynak Bhandari, who played a crucial role in Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s naval prowess. Narwekar on Thursday wrote to chief minister Eknath Shinde, stressing that during the reign of Maratha warrior king Shivaji, coastal security and coastal war campaigns were crucial to prevent foreign invasions and that Maynak Bhandari played a crucial role in it.

 “Shivaji Maharaj laid the foundation of a strong naval force, which Maynak Bhandari led from Konkan. The British had to retreat from the fort at Khanderi-Underi harbour in Alibaug after a bitter struggle and due to the bravery of Maynak Bhandari,” he wrote. Narwekar additionally expressed the suggestion of installing a statue of Bhandari in Alibaug.

Narwekar put forth the demand after a recent meeting with a delegation from the All India Bhandari Federation, who approached him with a request for the name change. “The demands are justified and I urge the government to look into them,” Narwekar said.

Last month, the Maharashtra cabinet announced its decision to rename Ahmednagar district as Ahilya Nagar in honour of the 18th-century Maratha queen Ahilyabai Holkar. Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde initially introduced the proposition to rename the city in May 2023, coinciding with the 298th birth anniversary of Queen Ahilyabai Holkar.

Likewise, the government led by Eknath Shinde issued a notification last year renaming the Aurangabad and Osmanabad districts to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Dharashiv, respectively. The decision to rename these districts was made during the final cabinet meeting of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, presided over by then-chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on June 29, 2022, just before his resignation.

(With inputs from PTI)