A fresh naming controversy has broken out in the city after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced that a proposal has been received to name a metro station in Bengaluru as ‘St. Mary’.
The recommendation will be sent to the central government for approval, with the CM promising to announce the official naming date once cleared, reported Asianet Suvarna News.
Speaking at the St. Mary’s birthday celebration in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said, “I am very happy to participate in this program every year. Many people pray to Mother St. Mary for health, both physical and mental, and fulfill their vows. That is why St. Mary is called the Mother of Health.”
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However, the proposal has triggered a sharp backlash online. Several social media users questioned why the government chose ‘St. Mary’ over late actor Shankar Nag, a cultural icon often credited with envisioning a metro for Bengaluru in the 1980s.
How did X users react?
One user wrote,”What’s happening! It’s a shame. Why does the Karnataka government want to name the metro station Saint Mary? Why not after Kannadigas like Shankar Nag or other deserving people?”
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Another post argued, “The station deserves to be named after Shankar Nag, the man who dreamt of bringing the Metro to Bengaluru City. He even shelled out money from his pocket and went to the UK to conduct a feasibility study on the London Metro system.” This claim, however, remains unverified.
Others criticised the broader trend of political tussles over public place names, with one user commenting, “Ban naming any public place after personalities. This has become a playground for politics.”