Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday hit out at the Congress-led government in Karnataka for its proposal to rename Bengaluru’s Shivajinagar metro station after St Mary, calling it an affront to Maratha icon Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah recently said his government was considering the renaming after receiving a request during the annual feast at St Mary’s Basilica. His deputy, D.K. Shivakumar, had defended the move, arguing that it was not unusual for administrations to respond to appeals from local communities.
Reacting sharply, Fadnavis told reporters, “I strongly condemn the Karnataka government’s move to rename Shivajinagar metro station in Bengaluru after St Mary. It is an insult to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The Karnataka's Congress has continued its tradition of disrespecting the Maratha warrior king since the days of Nehru, who criticised him in his book Discovery of India.”
Fadnavis further said he hoped Chief Minister Siddaramaiah would reconsider, describing the plan as a decision “based on religion” and “against the legacy of Shivaji Maharaj.” He added, “I pray that the Almighty gives him the wisdom not to go ahead with it.”
Deputy CM Eknath shinde stated in a press conference, "This is unfortunate. The truth is that it has been seventy-five years since the British left and now there is no need to erase the memory of the British here and therefore while keeping the name Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is not only the worshipped deity of Maharashtra but also the worshipped across country. Therefore, everyone should be aware of this and do this work here. Otherwise, all the devotees of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj will be answering accordingly."
Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Legislative Council, Chalwadi Narayan Swami also criticised CM Siddaramaiah's announcement. "Will they remove the name Shivajinagar? They should not go beyond the limits. Appeasement has become the first choice of the Congress party," he said. "Because of the appeasement, their party went to the dogs. Still, they are maintaining appeasement politics. We will not allow this," he said.
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