Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s promise to recommend naming the upcoming Shivajinagar station of Bengaluru Metro after St Mary has ignited a controversy on social media, with citizens demanding that the station be named after the late Kannada actor-director Shankar Nag instead.
The debate erupted after Siddaramaiah Monday assured Archbishop Peter Machado during the annual feast at St Mary’s Basilica that the government will positively consider naming the upcoming Pink Line station after St Mary. He also promised funding support for the Basilica’s renovation.
Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad, speaking to The Indian Express, said, “I am formally proposing to name the metro station as Shivajinagar St Mary. This is to honour the iconic St Mary’s Basilica, which has a rich history. The Basilica is located close to the Shivajinagar bus depot, and there will be no room for confusion for the passengers as well.”
Siddaramaiah said the proposal will be presented to the Central government, and the request will be processed according to due procedures.
Social media users quickly voiced opposition, arguing that Shankar Nag deserves recognition for his visionary role in conceptualising Bengaluru’s Metro system decades ago. “Shankar Nag was an exception in movies who had the interests of Bengaluru and Karnataka at heart. He wanted to make the city like Singapore and even bore expenses to study their technology,” wrote one user.
The late actor-director had studied metro rail networks in other countries during the 1980s and advocated for an urban rail transit system in Bengaluru, earning him recognition as the original visionary behind Namma Metro.
“The man who dreamt of Bengaluru Metro is still waiting for a station in his name. This is pure injustice for Shankar Nag,” commented another social media user, expressing the sentiment shared by many Kannadigas.
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Arshad, meanwhile, said, “There are many upcoming stations in the network which can be named after Shankar Nag.”
Of Bengaluru’s 83 metro stations, many are named after various personalities and spiritual leaders, which can sometimes create confusion for commuters. The station located at Electronic City is named Infosys Foundation Konappana Agrahara, while the one actually located at Konappana Agrahara is named Electronic City.
Some users advocate for a more practical approach, suggesting stations should be named after their localities or nearby landmarks rather than personalities, to avoid confusion and support co-branding efforts.
The naming debate extends beyond this instance, with Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar recently talking about discussions on naming a station after Field Marshal K M Cariappa.