CM Siddaramaiah Proposes Renaming Bengaluru Metro After Basavanna
Karnataka CM says proposal will be sent to Centre; also announces plans for Vachana University and Anubhava Mantapa completion
Bengaluru (Fikrokhabar News): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday said he will propose to the Central Government to rename the Bengaluru Metro Rail project after 12th-century social reformer Basavanna. Currently known as “Namma Metro”, the project is jointly funded by both state and central governments.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the Basava Culture Campaign–2025, held to mark the declaration of Vishwaguru Basavanna as Karnataka’s Cultural Leader, the Chief Minister addressed a large gathering that included seers and spiritual leaders from various Lingayat maths.
Responding to public demands at the event, Siddaramaiah said,
“You need not ask us to do something for Basavanna. If the metro was entirely a state project, I would have approved the renaming right now. But since it’s a joint project, I will have to write to the central government and seek their approval. Our government will look into it.”
He further added that though the state bears 87% of the cost, with the Centre contributing 13%, any major decision such as renaming requires central approval.
In another key announcement, Siddaramaiah confirmed that the government has accepted the proposal to establish a Vachana University, which will be set up next year. Vachana, a literary form in Kannada, was used by Basavanna and his contemporaries to spread messages of social equality and justice during the Sharana movement in the 12th century.
The CM also said the replica of ‘Anubhava Mantapa’—often referred to as the world’s first religious parliament, which once hosted saints, mystics, and thinkers of the Lingayat movement will be completed next year in Basavakalyan, Bidar district.
Expressing his personal admiration for Basavanna’s teachings, Siddaramaiah said,
“I am a follower of Basavanna’s philosophy. He promoted coexistence, tolerance, and a casteless society. His message is more relevant than ever today.”
The Chief Minister emphasized that no caste holds monopoly over talent or knowledge, and condemned all forms of discrimination.
“We are all human beings first, then Indians. The Constitution upholds freedom, equality, and fraternity — the very ideals Basavanna stood for,” he stated.
