Mumbai: Dadar East monorail station renamed Vitthal Mandir

New signage displaying the new name of the monorail station

The Mumbai monorail station in Dadar East has been renamed as Vitthal Mandir following persistent demands by local residents and political parties. The Maharashtra government in March 2024 formally approved the renaming.

"Since the historic Vitthal temple is located here below the station, the local sentiment had been to rename the station and we had written to the authorities with consistent follow-ups and finally the station has been renamed," Bajrang Deshmukh of the Wadala Nagrik Dakshata Samiti, who has put up hoardings thanking the authorities for renaming the station.

MNS leader Milind Panchal

MNS leader Milind Panchal, who had been following up the issue for several years, also thanked the government for renaming it. "It was the MNS that first raised the issue which was subsequently followed by other political parties," he added. Former local MP Rahul Shewale had also pushed for the renaming.

Dadar East residents had gathered and organised a signature campaign to get the station renamed and managed to get nearly 3,000 signatures. Local residents and elected representatives had also threatened a hunger strike and agitation for this demand since 2017. Local residents remained firm in their demand and finally the MMRDA approved renaming at the authority's meeting in March 2024.