Insult to Maratha warrior: Fadnavis slams Karnataka's move to rename Shivajinagar metro station

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday (September 11) slammed the Congress government in neighbouring Karnataka for its move to rename Shivajinagar metro rail station in Bengaluru after St Mary.

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Renaming metro station

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah recently said that his government would consider renaming Bengaluru's Shivajinagar metro station after St Mary, following a request made during the annual feast at St Mary's Basilica.

Deputy CM DK Shivakumar also claimed that there was nothing unusual in responding to such community requests.

Fadnavis slams move

Talking to reporters in Mumbai, Fadnavis reacted to the move. He said, "I condemn the Karnataka government's move to rename Shivajinagar metro station in Bengaluru after St Mary. Its an insult to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj."

"The Congress has continued 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 further said.

Fadnavis added that he was praying that the Almighty would give Siddaramaiah the sense not to go ahead with such a decision, which he said was based on religion and disrespectful to the Maratha warrior king.

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Criticise policies, not nation

On comments from some Opposition leaders that India too could face civic unrest like the one currently underway in Nepal and earlier seen in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, Fadnavis said the level of the Opposition has sunk.

"You can criticise the government's programmes and policies but not the society and country," he asserted.

He also asked those criticising the Maratha quota GR to read the document carefully, adding that the implementation of the Hyderabad Gazette was not a blanket nod for all Marathas to be given Kunbi caste certificates.

"Only those who possess Kunbi caste documents and evidence will be given caste certificates after proper verification. Those criticising the GR should read it carefully," Fadnavis said.

(With agency inputs)