Political row breaks out over naming of Bengaluru flyover after Savarkar
The political row breaks out a day before Karnataka chief minister B.S.Yediyurappa is scheduled to inaugurate the flyover in Yelahanka, in northern Bengaluru
BENGALURU : Members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition in Karnataka have locked horns over the naming of a flyover in Bengaluru after Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.
The political row broke out on Wednesday, a day before Karnataka chief minister B.S.Yediyurappa is scheduled to inaugurate the flyover in Yelahanka, in northern Bengaluru.
Congress' leader of the opposition Siddaramaiah criticised the BJP's move in a post on Twitter.
"The decision to name the flyover in Yelahanka is an insult to all freedom fighters of this soil. This decision must be changed immediately and be replaced with the name of any of the freedom fighters from the state," Siddaramaiah posted in Kannada on Twitter.
The chief minister’s office said that the inauguration ceremony, scheduled on Thursday, has been postponed due to fears of too many people gathering at the venue.
The Congress party, that has been critical of the response of the Yediyurappa-led state government to the covid-19 crisis, was quick to try and corner its rival in Karnataka.
H.D.Kumaraswamy, former chief minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader also took to Twitter to criticise the ruling BJP government.
Mirroring the sentiments of his rival, Siddaramaiah, Kumaraswamy posted that this decision by the BJP government was an insult to all freedom fighters. He said that there are enough freedom fighters and others after independence who have worked hard for the development of the state and that the government should name the flyover after one of these people.
While the Congress itself is questioned over its naming of all schemes, plans and roads after the ‘Gandhi’ family, the party has been trying to hit back at its rival, accusing it of trying to erase the contribution of great leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, whose death anniversary is observed on Wednesday.
The BJP’s Pralhad Joshi hit back at Siddaramiah.
“This exhibits bankrupt Congress mentality. On one hand, they name national assets after 1 family of dynasts and on the other hand, they downplay the contribution of our national heroes like Babasaheb Ambedkar, Subhash Chandra Bose, Vallabhbhai Patel and others," Joshi, the union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines,posted on Twitter.
The chief ministers office said that the inauguration ceremony, scheduled on Thursday, has been postponed due to fears of too many people gathering at the venue.
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