Bengaluru Local News

BBMP ditches move to name roads after Muslim personalities after BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, others object

December 31, 2020
The Commune

The Bengaluru Brihat Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has ditched its controversial proposal to name eleven crossroads in ward no. 135 Padarayanapura, Bengaluru after Muslim leaders. This scrapping of the proposal comes after objections from Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya, Uttara Kannada MP Anantkumar Hegde and Bengaluru Central MP PC Mohan.

On September 8, BJP councilors under then Mayor M Gautham Kumar had unanimously passed a resolution to name crossroads in the minority-dominated locality after Muslim leaders. Objecting against this move, Uttara Kannada MP Anantkumar Hegde wrote to the BBMP, stating that recommending only the names of Muslim leaders was “not appropriate” and that this was “nothing but promotion of one particular community”.

“Such a decision taken by BBMP would also promote one particular community, which will create different scenes in other corporations and town panchayats where Hindus are in a majority, and the outcome of similar decisions cannot be imagined. Hence, it will be appropriate for BBMP to name such streets after freedom-fighters and national leaders who have fought for the country, which will also bring pride to Padarayanapura”, the letter went on to state.

Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya too sent a letter to the BBMP, demanding that the proposal be dropped. Expressing concern that any such move would lead to communal tensions, he stated in his letter that the measure “reeks of the same communal mentality of the two-nation theory and the Muslim League’s demand of separate electorates.”

Within hours the BBMP withdrew the proposal, citing the objections by the three MPs and one private citizen.