District renaming plan: BJP’s Tumakuru MLAs go after G Parameshwara

Suresh Gowda likened it to the deputy chief minister getting Ramanagar district renamed as Bengaluru South, with ‘real estate interests in mind’.

The BJP has expressed strong opposition to the proposal by Home Minister G Parameshwara, also the district in-charge minister, to rename Tumakuru district as Bengaluru North.  

Tumakuru rural MLA B Suresh Gowda told a press conference on Wednesday, “It is a move to besmirch the image of the district’s historical name. One can easily make out that there are real estate interests behind the proposal mooted by the minister, who gained everything politically from the district and owns a number of educational institutions”. 

Gowda likened it to the deputy chief minister getting Ramanagar district renamed as Bengaluru South, with ‘real estate interests in mind’.

“The history of the district will get erased once it is renamed. The resultant urbanisation will deal a heavy blow to the agriculture sector and cause people to migrate for jobs, besides spiking farmer suicides,” the MLA said.     

While agreeing that Tumakuru should be developed, he said it should not be done by renaming it. 

Tumakuru urban MLA G B Jyothi Ganesh said Tumakuru district had an identity of its own and renaming it would amount to destroying its history and heritage.

It would also lead to adverse changes in people’s lifestyles and the district should not be sacrificed at the altar of real estate, he said.