Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Wednesday that he will write to the Prime Minister requesting him to replace Bombay with Mumbai in the name of the city's Indian Institute of Technology.

This comes after a row over Union Minister for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh's remarks during his speech at IIT Bombay on Monday. Singh had remarked on a lighter note, “As far as IIT Bombay is concerned, thank god it still has this name. You have not changed it to Mumbai. So that's another compliment to you. And also true for Madras. It remains IIT Madras.”

Singh also lauded IIT Bombay, which was set up in 1958, saying the institute had been a “very consistent” partner of the Department of Science and Technology.

Opposition parties, particularly the Raj Thackeray-led MNS, subsequently raked up a controversy, saying that BJP leaders never let go of any opportunity to insult Marathi, Mumbai and Maharashtra.

In response, CM Fadnavis said that BJP leader Rambhau Naik was instrumental in getting Bombay renamed as Mumbai.