BJP chief Vijayendra accuses Shivakumar of acting like 'real estate agent' over Ramanagara rename

Mysuru, May 25 (PTI) Questioning whether the government’s decision to rename Ramanagara as Bengaluru South district was aimed at real estate, Karnataka BJP President B Y Vijayendra on Sunday claimed that people of the state are asking why Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar was behaving like a "real estate agent".

Further questioning the government and Shivakumar on whether the Ramanagara name was changed because it contains “Rama”, he also said that the intention behind the renaming will be revealed once information about who owns how much property comes out.

The Karnataka cabinet on Thursday approved the renaming of Ramanagara district as ‘Bengaluru South’.

Ramanagara, about 50 km from Bengaluru, will remain the headquarters of the renamed district, which will also include Magadi, Kanakapura, Channapatna, and Harohalli taluks.

“People of the state, including those from Ramanagara, are questioning why Shivakumar was behaving like a real estate agent, forgetting that he is the Deputy Chief Minister of the state. Does Shivakumar have an inferiority complex about Ramanagara? Can development not happen if Ramanagara is not renamed Bengaluru South? Why did he take such a decision?” Vijayendra asked.

Speaking to reporters here, he said that changing the name of Ramanagara district, which has its history, at someone’s whim is an insult to the people of the district.

“If development can happen in Ramanagara only by renaming it after Bengaluru, is real estate development then? Is the government there for real estate? What are the priorities of this government? Is D K Shivakumar embarrassed to use the name Ramanagara? Is he embarrassed because it has ‘Rama’?” he questioned.

“If development can happen only if the Bengaluru name is attached, then let the government add Bengaluru to the names of all districts,” the state BJP chief further claimed.

“Let’s see who owns how much property; then we will know the intention behind the renaming,” he added.

Ramanagara, now renamed, is the home district of Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress chief.

He represents the Kanakapura Assembly constituency in the district and had first proposed renaming the district as Bengaluru South.

Pointing out that the government has decided to appoint actress Tamannaah Bhatia as the brand ambassador of Karnataka Soaps & Detergents Limited (KSDL) for two years, for which she will be paid Rs 6.2 crore, Vijayendra referred to this a "serious issue".

“More important than paying an actress Rs 6 crore is protecting and nurturing this state’s land, culture, and traditions. KSDL was not created by the Congress government; it was established in 1916 as the brainchild of the farsighted Maharaja of Mysuru. Didn’t they find anyone from Karnataka to be the brand ambassador?” he asked.

Noting that the minister said the decision was made on expert advice, the BJP leader asked, “Why expert opinion on this? Who are these experts? Experts in what? People of the state are questioning this. This is not a minor matter. It is an insult to the Maharajas of Mysuru, Kannadigas, and the state.” Alleging that Karnataka is lagging behind in implementing national highways, Vijayendra said this is because the state government is "not showing interest in land acquisition".

He challenged Siddaramaiah to a discussion on the funds allocated for Mysuru’s development during his tenure as Chief Minister, compared to those under BJP leader B S Yediyurappa, and said the Congress government had become a “government of advertisements.” PTI KSU SSK