The two MPs wrote to the BBMP Commissioner over naming of streets within Padranyanapura ward.

BJP MPs Ananth Kumar Hegde and Tejasvi Surya on Thursday wrote to Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Commissioner Manjanath Prasad opposing naming of roads after Muslim names in a Muslim majority (Padarayanapura) neighbourhood in the city. In two separate letters, the two leaders known for their hardline Hindutva approach, opined that the naming of streets only after Muslim names will set a dangerous precedent and go in line with the two-nation theory propgaged by the Muslim League. Both leaders have stirred controversy multiple times in the past for making unparliamentary and communally sensitive remarks.

These letters have been written in context of a December 16 notification which was passed by the BBMP Revenue Department. “Christening of roads in a Muslim-dominated locality with only Muslim names reeks of the same communal mentality of the two-nation theory and Muslim League's demand of separate electorates for Hindus and Muslims. This is dangerous and must be condemned,” the letter by Tejasvi Surya, the MP from Bangalore South read. He added, “There is no dearth of non-Muslim public figures and patriots on whom our roads can be named after.”

He asked the Commissioner to revise the list and finalise the list of roads to be named after personalities only after wide public discussion. Incidentally, the decision was approved by the BBMP Council led by former Mayor Goutham Kumar of the BJP.

Similarly, Hegde, the veteran MP from Uttara Kannada in his letter to the BBMP Commissioner said that the roads be named after martyrs. “Only names of Muslim leaders have been recommended in this particular ward. It is not appropriate to undertake such a step in the name of social work, which is nothing but promotion of one particular community,” he wrote. 

Padarayanapura within the Chamrajpet Assembly constituency has been in the news since it became the first ward in the city to get sealed as per COVID-19 containment measures taken by the BBMP in April. A ruckus had also broken out in the area after some residents, secondary contacts of COVID-19 patients refused to go to institutional quarantine as asked by the BBMP. In that incident, around 100 people gathered and vandalised some camps,set up the authorities, threw chairs, and destroyed CCTV cameras and barricades.

TNM had reported how residents of the ward were mistreated on suspicion of being Tablighi Jamaat attendees.

https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/tejasvi-surya-ananth-hegde-oppose-naming-streets-bengaluru-ward-after-muslim-leaders-140611