MUMBAI: Mayor Shubha Raul has issued an ultimatum to the Bajaj Foundation and Intach (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) to change Bombay to Mumbai in the name of the Bombay School of Art gallery at the Bhau Daji Lad Museum by June 19. Failing this, she warned, the BMC would initiate steps to take control of the museum.
Ravindra Waikar, chairman of the standing committee, had raised the issue, after which the Shiv Sena activists demanded that the museum should replace Bombay with Mumbai.
Leaders of all parties, at a meeting convened by Raul on Thursday, decided to ask Intach and the Bajaj Foundation to change the name. Raul said she had written to the foundation to change the name by June 19 or face the possibility of having to return the museum to the BMC.
The BMC handed over the museum to Tasneem Mehta, managing trustee of the Bhau Daji Lad Museum Trust and Mumbai convener of Intach, for restoration which was completed in 2006. But the museum was thrown open to the public only in January this year, ironically by Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray.
