CM Siddaramaiah proposes renaming Namma Metro as ‘Basava Metro’

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday proposed renaming the Namma Metro as ‘Basava Metro’ in honour of 12th-century social reformer Basavanna. Speaking at a public event, the CM said he would recommend the name change to the Central government.

“I will recommend to the Central government to name Namma Metro as ‘Basava Metro’. If it were entirely a state government project, I would have announced it as 'Basava Metro' today itself,” Siddaramaiah said.

The proposal comes amid ongoing discussions around the cultural and historical representation of major infrastructure projects in the state. The Bengaluru Metro project, officially operated by the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), is jointly funded by both the state and central governments.

Who is Basavanna?

Basava, also known as Basavēśvara or Basavaṇṇa, was an Indian philosopher, poet, and social reformer associated with the Lingayat tradition. He played a significant role in the Shiva-focused Bhakti movement during the reign of the Kalyani Chalukya and Kalachuri dynasties, advocating for social and religious reforms within Hindu Shaivism.