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Bengaluru: A political row has broken out after Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah said he had recommended renaming the upcoming metro station in Shivajinagar
after St Mary. The statement, made during a recent event at St Mary’s Basilica in Shivajinagar, has triggered sharp criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in both Karnataka and Maharashtra. Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis strongly opposed the proposal, calling it an “insult” to Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. “I condemn the Karnataka government's move to rename Shivajinagar metro station in Bengaluru after St Mary. It's an insult to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj,” Fadnavis was quoted as saying by PTI.
He further alleged that the Congress party had a history of disrespecting the Maratha warrior king, recalling that former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru had made critical references to Shivaji in his book Discovery of India. Fadnavis also remarked that he prayed “the Almighty gives Siddaramaiah sense” to withdraw a decision based on religion and “against Shivaji Maharaj.”
The controversy deepened as other BJP leaders joined the criticism. Maharashtra BJP MLC Chitra Wagh said the Congress move exposed its “hatred” towards Shivaji Maharaj. She claimed that Congress MLA Rizwan Arshad had demanded the change, adding that Siddaramaiah had already forwarded the proposal to the Centre. Wagh asked the Maharashtra Congress to clarify its stand on the matter.
In Karnataka, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalwadi Narayan Swami also opposed the plan, warning the government not to alter the name of Shivajinagar.
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