K’taka govt wants to change Ramanagara’s name as it has ‘Ram’ in it: BJP

Bengaluru : Karnataka BJP on Tuesday said that the state government wants to change the name of Ramanagara district to Bengaluru South as it has ‘Ram’ in it.

“They only want to change it as there is ‘Ram’ in the name of Ramanagar. Only the Congress government can do this. We cannot accept it,” former Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister C. N. Ashwath Narayan said.

He said that the move to change the name was initiated by Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar. “He will never develop the Ramanagara district. He has also moved the medical college to his native Kanakapura. The people won’t accept this,” the former Chief Minister said.

Nikhil Kumaraswamy, son of Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy, also questioned the “hidden agenda” behind changing the Ramanagara’s name. “It is no secret that for whose appeasement this name change is being done,” he said.

He said that it is part of a “conspiracy” to make the district a "heaven for the real estate mafia."

“Appeasement of few is another angle. There is a conspiracy to snatch the identity of Ramanagara district which has got a special place in state politics,” he said.

On Tuesday, a delegation led by Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at the Vidhana Soudha and sought the creation of a new Bengaluru South district from five taluks surrounding Bengaluru.

The delegation also urged the government to rename Ramanagara District as Bengaluru South district, with Ramanagara city as its headquarters.

“Our objective is to extend the benefits of the reputation of the global city of Bengaluru to the people of Ramanagara, Magadi, Kanakapura, Channapatna, and Harohalli taluks, which are located close to Bengaluru city,” Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar said after meeting the Chief Minister.

Ramanagara District was initially approved by H.D. Kumaraswamy.