Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s recommendation to rename the upcoming Shivajinagar metro station in Bengaluru after St Mary has sparked a political row, drawing sharp criticism from the BJP and Maharashtra leaders.
Speaking at St Mary’s Basilica in Shivajinagar recently, Siddaramaiah said he had forwarded the proposal to the Centre.
However, the move was slammed by Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, who called it an “insult to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj” and accused the Congress of continuing its “tradition of insulting” the Maratha ruler.
Maharashtra BJP MLC Chitra Wagh alleged that the Congress’s decision was driven by appeasement politics and demanded that the Maharashtra Congress clarify its stance.
In Karnataka, BJP leader Chalwadi Narayan Swami also hit out at the CM, warning that the Opposition would not allow any step that disrespects Shivaji Maharaj.
The controversy has now escalated into a Congress-BJP political flashpoint across state lines, with critics branding the move as religious appeasement.