'Congress allergic to Ram': HDK, Pralhad Joshi slam Karnataka govt over renaming Ramanagara district as Bengaluru South

'Siddaramaiah says that when it comes to Ram, he has Ram in his name. If that is the case, why are you doing this? We strongly condemn this and demand them to withdraw this proposal', the Union ministers said.

New Delhi: Slamming the Karnataka Cabinet decision to rename Ramanagara district as Bengaluru South, Union Ministers H D Kumaraswamy and Pralhad Joshi on Friday said that this decision indicates that Congress has an allergy towards the name ‘Ram.’

"...This shows their allergy towards Ram and Ram mandir, even to the name of Ram. The name ‘Ramanagara’ has a history. Since the government decided to erase the history of the district by renaming it, the state government will face consequences soon," the Ministers told the media here.

"The Siddaramaiah headed government will not survive for long and it will not complete its tenure. Its days are numbered. Once the new government came sooner or later, original name of the district will be restored", Steel Minister H D Kumaraswamy said.

"Just to increase the real estate value, the government took the decision to rename the district. This will only help Congress leaders and their friends who have a lot of land in this region," Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said.

Bengaluru Rural Lok Sabha member Dr C N Manjunath had also written to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah not to rename the district. But this is being done for vote bank politics and greed for real estate, Joshi added.

"Siddaramaiah says that when it comes to Ram, he has Ram in his name. If that is the case, why are you doing this? I strongly condemn this and I ask, demand and urge them to withdraw this proposal, otherwise BJP will strongly oppose this and the local unit will agitate for this."

Rajya Sabha member Lahar Singh Siroya said, "I wish, the kind of problems Bengaluru city was facing like the situation of roads, shortage of drinking water and law and order issues, it should not reach Bengaluru South district."

BJP-JD(S) meet on Sunday

Union Steel and Heavy Industries Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Friday said the BJP and JD(S) leaders would hold a meeting at Bengaluru on Sunday to decide on intensifying their fight against Congress Government in Karnataka including holding a foot march from Mysuru to Bengaluru.

“The BJP leaders have called me to attend the meeting. I will attend it. In the joint meeting, both the parties leaders will decide on modalities to continue their fight against the Siddaramaiah headed government on MUDA and Valmiki 'scams.' The meeting will also decide on a foot march from Mysuru to Bengaluru to intensify the protest, he said.