BENGALURU: Opposing the proposal to rename Ramanagara district as Bengaluru South district, BJP and JDS leaders slammed the Congress government, accusing it of indulging in appeasement politics.
Leader of Opposition in the Assembly and BJP leader R Ashoka said, “It appears as if they (Congress) hate the name “Rama’’ in Ramanagara, which has prompted them to take up this proposal.” He said they are also looking at the move in terms of real estate value.
“They have already cheated people of Bengaluru in the name of ‘Brand Bengaluru’, and now with the renaming of Ramanagara, they are fooling people of that district too,’’ he said.
Ashoka further said it was in 2007, during the BJP-JDS coalition government, when Ramanagara district was formed. “The Congress is trying to take revenge against both the parties for Congress’ loss in the recent Lok Sabha polls,” he said.
He questioned Chief Minister Siddaramaiah if the renaming of Ramanagara district was Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s idea. He also asked if after grabbing lands through MUDA, they were making an attempt to grab lands of Ramanagara district.
Former deputy CM Dr CN Ashwath Narayan, who was district-in-charge minister in the BJP government, said that the Congress has neglected Ramanagara. “They have used the district only for political representation and done nothing. They want to change the name of the district simply for appeasement politics,” he said.
JDS Youth president Nikhil Kumaraswamy also alleged appeasement politics. “This place is significant in its own way. Why are they changing its name? There is some hidden agenda to woo certain sections of the people,’’ he claimed.