From Malegaon To Mira Bhayandar, Tipu Sultan Row Reaches Mumbai Suburb As BJP Pushes For Chowk Renaming

Last Updated:February 18, 2026, 11:05 IST

Ahead of Mira Bhayandar’s first general assembly, the proposal to change the name of “Hazrat Tipu Sultan Chowk” has triggered fresh political debate.

The political controversy surrounding Tipu Sultan in Maharashtra has now reached the Mumbai suburb of Mira Bhayandar. Newly elected BJP corporators are demanding that Tipu Sultan Chowk in Naya Nagar, Mira Road, be renamed.

After the appearance of Tipu Sultan’s photo, a dispute has erupted over Tipu Sultan Chowk. In the Muslim-majority area of Mira Road, adjoining Mumbai, there is now a demand to rename the chowk.

The issue first surfaced in Malegaon and has now reached the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation. After the BJP’s sweeping victory in the corporation, the party may place a proposal in today’s first general body meeting to cancel the name of a Mira Road junction currently named after Tipu Sultan. The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, February 18.

Debate ahead of key civic body meeting

After a gap of nearly three-and-a-half years, elected representatives have returned to municipal corporations across the state. Ahead of Mira Bhayandar’s first general assembly, the proposal to change the name of “Hazrat Tipu Sultan Chowk" has triggered fresh political debate. A confrontation in the meeting is widely anticipated.

Amid the political heat, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction has claimed that Tipu Sultan is being “brought back from the grave," similar to past controversies involving Aurangzeb and Afzal Khan.

Tipu Sultan Chowk is located in Naya Nagar, Mira Road East. The square was officially named in 2016 through a resolution passed in the general body meeting. Municipal authorities have cited a 2021 decision, stating that changing the name may not be possible. The BJP argues that there have been precedents of name changes, including the renaming of an auditorium, and insists the proposal should be discussed.

Photo controversy in Malegaon

The row also follows a controversy in Malegaon over a photo of Tipu Sultan. After taking charge, Deputy Mayor Shane E Hind Nihal Ahmed displayed a photo of Tipu Sultan in her office. This led to protests by Hindutva organisations, which decided to continue their agitation until the photo was removed.

As the Shiv Sena Shinde group also took an aggressive stance, the Municipal Secretary’s Department removed the photo overnight. However, the Deputy Mayor has vowed to reinstall the photo again after the repair work in her office is completed. She said Tipu Sultan was a freedom fighter and questioned what was wrong in displaying his photo.

Meanwhile, tension escalated in Ahilyanagar after Tipu Sultan’s symbolic effigy was burned following remarks by Harshvardhan Sapkal. The effigy burning was carried out by the Sakal Hindu Samaj under the leadership of Sangram Jagtap, an MLA from the late Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party. 

In response, Muslim youths in the Asha Talkies area poured milk on Tipu Sultan’s photograph, calling it a symbolic protest.

News india From Malegaon To Mira Bhayandar, Tipu Sultan Row Reaches Mumbai Suburb As BJP Pushes For Chowk Renaming

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