Name Shivajinagar Metro station after St Mary, says Archbishop

Bengaluru: Archbishop Rev Dr Peter Machado has requested chief minister Siddaramaiah to name the upcoming underground Metro station at Shivajinagar after St Mary. The demand was made on Sunday in the presence of the CM during the St Mary's feast at the historic St Mary's Basilica.While BMRCL later said it isn't aware of the demand, BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal strongly objected to the suggestion, criticizing it as an attempt to appease a community for votes.In his social media post, the former minister ridiculed the idea of naming the station after St Mary in a place where Shivaji Maharaj spent his childhood days. He also highlighted the presence of several temples in the area, including the 150-year-old Ekambareshwara Swamy temple, Muthyalamma temple, Seetharamanjaneya Swamy temple, and Angala Parameshwari temple. The underground station at Shivajinagar is part of the Pink Line connecting Kalena Agrahara with Nagawara, which is likely to be operational in 2026.On the naming issue, a BMRCL official stated, "We aren't aware of the development and [have] no comments to offer at this stage." The official explained that station names are usually given based on the locality name during the preparation of the detailed project report, as it helps local residents and regular commuters.In the past, the names of several Metro stations were changed owing to "popular demand" and political reasons. Examples include renaming Majestic interchange as Nadaprabhu Kempegowda station, Vidhana Soudha station as Dr BR Ambedkar Vidhana Soudha Station, and Hosahalli station on the Purple Line as Balagangadharanatha Swamiji station. Additionally, some have names based on the roads where they are located: Mahatma Gandhi Road, Swami Vivekananda Road, Mahakavi Kuvempu Road, among others.
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