Bengaluru, Sep 13: After the Maharashtra government’s objections to naming the Shivajinagar Metro station as St. Mary’s Metro station, the Karnataka BJP has geared up for a campaign if the government does not retract its decision.
BJP Chief Whip in the Legislative Council, N. Ravikumar, said the proposed name was nothing but appeasement of minorities and accused the Congress of ignoring the legacy of the Hindu warrior.
The controversy broke out when Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced that the government would name the Shivajinagar Metro station, currently under construction, after St. Mary. The move was supported by local MLA Rizwan Arshad, citing the presence of the historic St. Mary’s Basilica near the station.
The first objections came from Maharashtra’s Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders, followed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who not only demanded that Karnataka retract its decision but also called for the station to be renamed Chhatrapati Shivaji Metro station instead of Shivajinagar Metro station.
Congress leaders in Karnataka, however, were not pleased. MLC B.K. Hariprasad pointed out that the Basilica existed long before Shivaji’s name was associated with the area. St. Mary’s Basilica is one of the oldest churches in Bengaluru, dating back to the 17th century.
The BJP has now decided to intensify its campaign against the renaming. The issue will be discussed during the party’s upcoming two-day state functionaries’ meeting scheduled for September 16–17.
