Bengaluru: A political row has erupted after chief minister Siddaramaiah announced plans to recommend to the central govt that Shivajinagar Metro station be renamed after St Mary. The announcement came Monday during the annual feast at St Mary’s Basilica, located about 200 metres from the station.The Shivajinagar underground station, part of Namma Metro’s Pink Line, is expected to be operational next year. Siddaramaiah said the state would announce its renaming once the central govt gives approval.Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar also defended the move, saying: “There is nothing wrong with the request.” He added that the govt would take the final call on the matter.This isn’t the first time such a proposal has been raised. Last year, Archbishop Rev Peter Machado urged Siddaramaiah to rename the station. Karnataka BJP opposed the move, alleging that the Congress was engaging in minority appeasement and disrespecting Chhatrapati Shivaji.This time, leaders from Maharashtra have also criticised the proposal. Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis condemned the move on Thursday, calling it “an insult to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj”. He further accused Congress of continuing “its tradition of insulting the Maratha warrior king since the time of Nehru, who made comments against Shivaji Maharaj in his book Discovery of India.” He was speaking to reporters in Mumbai. The issue has sparked debate over religious sensitivities and historical pride, with political parties divided along regional and ideological lines. In the meantime, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) has not issued any official statement on the matter.Yellow Line train stalls for 7 minsFor the first time, an alleged technical snag caused a brief disruption on the Yellow Line Thursday. A train heading towards RV Road (Electronics City side) was stalled for seven minutes at Jayadeva Metro station.An official said: “There was a seven-minute delay on the Yellow Line between 6.41pm and 6.48pm, caused by door authorisation problems on one train at Jayadeva station. Normal service resumed by 6.48 pm. The issue appeared to be a technical snag affecting the door mechanism.”
