Shivpratishthan Hindusthan Tears Down Islampur Signboards In Maharashtra’s Sangli

Right-wing activists in Maharashtra tore down “Islampur” signboards in Sangli district as part of a symbolic protest over the city’s official renaming to Ishwarpur.

“Maharashtra: Members of the right-wing organisation Shivpratishthan Hindusthan tore down an “Islampur” signboard in Sangli district, citing alleged non-cooperation in replacing signage after the city’s official renaming to Ishwarpur”

Madhyamam

The incident took place on April 29 at the main square of Tarun Bharat Vyayam Mandal, where workers of the right-wing organisation Shivpratishthan Hindusthan removed the green plastic “Islampur” text.

Madhyamam

A video circulated on the organisation’s official Instagram account shows “three to four men climbing the structure, cutting out the green plastic “Islampur” text with a knife, throwing it to the ground, and stomping on it repeatedly.”

The group said the act was a rejection of the “Muslim-sounding” name, and it framed the removal as deliberate defiance of a Maharashtra State Government ordinance.

The activists alleged that “an individual from Kolhapur” had installed fresh “Islampur” directional signboards at multiple locations in Sangli after the official renaming.

They also said they removed similar boards from other spots and handed them over to authorities, while warning they would continue if the administration failed to act.

The activists tied their action to a Maharashtra State Government ordinance dated November 3, 2025, which they said officially renamed Islampur to Ishwarpur.

In their account, the continued presence of “Islampur” signboards was linked to what they described as non-cooperation in replacing signage after the city’s official change of name.

Muslim Mirror

The organisation alleged that “an individual from Kolhapur today installed directional signboards at various locations in Sangli—renaming ‘Ishwarpur’ to ‘Islampur,’” and it described this as a “calculated ploy.”

The group said it acted to prevent a possible breakdown of law and order, explaining that volunteers first informed the police and the Commissioner before removing the signboard themselves.

The same claim appeared across multiple reports, with the activists describing their steps as a way to avoid “any potential breakdown of law and order.”

They said they then removed the controversial signboard and handed over similar boards installed in other locations to officials.

Across the reports, the activists’ stated motive centered on undermining newly appointed district leadership and challenging the signage change.

“Sangli: Right-wing organisation Shivpratishthan Hindusthan workers tore down the “Islampur” signboard in Maharashtra, citing a lack of cooperation in renaming street signs following an official change of the city’s name to Ishwarpur”

The Siasat Daily

The group alleged that the “calculated ploy” of keeping “Islampur” signboards was intended to undermine the authority of the district’s newly appointed Collector, Superintendent of Police, and Commissioner.

In the Muslim Mirror account, the volunteers claimed they had first informed police and the Commissioner about the unauthorised boards to prevent any law and order situation, and then removed the signboards themselves after receiving no immediate response.

The Madhyamam report similarly described the volunteers as stating they acted to prevent a possible breakdown of law and order, and it said they first informed the police and the Commissioner before removing the signboard.

The Siasat Daily report added that the organisation wrote on Instagram that volunteers informed the police and the Commissioner and then “personally tore down the controversial signboard.”

The activists also said they removed similar boards from other locations and handed them over to officials.

The renaming of Islampur to Ishwarpur was described in the reports as having been announced in November 2025, with State Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule citing public demand.

The Madhyamam report said the Maharashtra government had renamed Islampur to Ishwarpur in November 2025, with Bawankule stating the decision was based on “public demand.”

Madhyamam

The Siasat Daily report similarly said the Maharashtra government in November 2025 renamed the city of Islampur to Ishwarpur, with Bawankule stating the decision was taken in view of the “demands of the people.”

The Muslim Mirror account also said the renaming was announced by Chandrashekhar Bawankule, citing public demand, and it described the move as part of a broader initiative by the Mahayuti government.

That initiative, as described by the Muslim Mirror and Madhyamam reports, is led by the Bharatiya Janata Party and seeks to replace names perceived to have Mughal-era origins with indigenous or historical Indian names.

The reports placed the Islampur-to-Ishwarpur change within a sequence of earlier renamings, including Aurangabad to Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar and Osmanabad to Dharashiv in 2023, and Ahmednagar to Ahilyanagar in 2024.

While all three reports describe the same April 29 tear-down at Tarun Bharat Vyayam Mandal’s main square in Sangli district, they emphasize different aspects of the incident and its framing.

“In a strong symbolic protest, workers of the right-wing organisation Shivpratishthan Hindusthan tore down “Islampur” signboards in Sangli district of Maharashtra on April 29, asserting the official renaming of the city to Ishwarpur”

Muslim Mirror

Muslim Mirror highlights the “strong symbolic protest” and says the group described the act as a rejection of the “Muslim-sounding” name, while also asserting that the volunteers first informed police and the Commissioner and then acted after “no immediate response.”

Muslim Mirror

Madhyamam focuses on the “renaming row” and repeats the allegation about an individual from Kolhapur installing directional signboards to reverse “Ishwarpur” back to “Islampur,” describing it as a “calculated ploy” aimed at undermining newly appointed district leadership.

The Siasat Daily report similarly centers the allegation and the protest video, but it adds a direct description of the group’s Instagram messaging about acting to “avoid any potential breakdown of law and order.”

The three sources also differ in how they describe the sequence of events around law and order: Muslim Mirror stresses the lack of immediate response after informing authorities, while Madhyamam and Siasat Daily stress that volunteers informed police and the Commissioner before removing the signboard.

All three, however, converge on the same core elements: the ordinance dated November 3, 2025; the green plastic signboard with “Islampur” text; and the activists’ claim that they removed similar boards and handed them over to officials.

The reports also describe the activists’ stated intention to continue removing signboards if the administration does not act.

Muslim Mirror says the volunteers issued a warning that they would continue removing such installations if the administration failed to act, after they removed the controversial signboards and handed them over to authorities.

Madhyamam similarly reports that the organisation warned they would continue such actions if necessary, tying the threat to the continued presence of “Islampur” signboards.

The Siasat Daily report likewise says the organisation later warned the administration that they would remove other such signboards, urging officials to do the same.

In each account, the warning is connected to the group’s claim that the ordinance issued on November 3, 2025 should be enforced and that “Islampur” signage should be replaced by “Ishwarpur.”

The activists’ broader ideological position is also repeated, with Muslim Mirror describing Shivpratishthan Hindusthan as advocating for a culturally assertive “Hindustan,” and Madhyamam describing the organisation as working to build a “Hindustan beyond national borders.”