Amit Malviya slams Congress over Ramanagara renaming, calls it an attack on Hindu identity

BJP’s Amit Malviya criticised the Congress for renaming Ramanagara to Bengaluru South, alleging it reflects the party’s disdain for Hindu beliefs. He claimed such actions threaten India’s civilisational identity and must be opposed.

Bengaluru: A recent decision by the Karnataka Congress government to rename Ramanagara district as Bengaluru South has ignited political and social backlash, with opposition leaders and right-wing commentators calling it an erasure of Hindu cultural identity. 

The decision was made during a recent cabinet meeting, with Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar confirming that while the district's name would change, Ramanagara would remain the administrative headquarters.

The renaming has sparked strong reactions, particularly from the BJP and its supporters. Amit Malviya, BJP IT cell chief, took to X (formerly Twitter) to criticize the Congress move, alleging that the decision was deliberately made to sideline the cultural and religious importance of Bhagwan Ram, after whom the district was perceived to be symbolically named.

His remarks have been widely circulated and debated online, with some users expressing outrage over the perceived religious insensitivity of the name change, while others condemned Malviya's rhetoric as dangerously incendiary.

Supporters of the Congress government argue that the renaming is purely administrative and aimed at aligning the district’s identity more closely with the Bengaluru metropolitan region to attract development and investment.

Meanwhile, local leaders like Magadi MLA HC Balakrishna and Ramanagara MLA Iqbal Hussain have defended the move, stating it will boost the district’s visibility and development prospects without erasing its historical roots.