B Bommai said the BS Yediyurappa government has decided to rename the airport.
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has responded to Congress leader Siddaramaiah's claims about the international airport in Bengaluru and asked why it took the Congress four years to decide the name of the airport.
Mr Bommai hit back at Siddaramaiah who had said that it was the Congress government that named the Bangalore International Airport after Nadaprabhu Kempegowda.
"On February 27, 2009, the BJP government led by then Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa had submitted a proposal to the Center to name the airport after Kempegowda,"
"However, the then UPA government took almost 4 years to decide whether to name the airport after Kempegowda or not. Siddaramaiah came in front of the media and said he is the reason for all the good things in Karnataka. My question is why did your UPA government wait 4 years for the decision taken by the BJP government?" he questioned.
He further questioned the silence of the UPA-led previous government in Karnataka when there was no reply from the Centre till 2011.
"When there was no reply from the central government till 2011, again in 2011, after discussion in the House, a decision was taken in the cabinet meeting to name the airport after Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, and a proposal was submitted to the central government. Even then, what is the reason why the then UPA-led central government kept silent about this?" his tweet read.
Bommai stated that in 2012, a resolution was passed in both houses to name the international airport after Kempegowda and a proposal for the same was submitted to the Central Government again.
A tussle began between the ruling BJP and Congress after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurating the 108-feet tall statue of Bengaluru's founder Nadaprabhu Kempegowda in the city.
Congress leader Siddaramaiah claimed the credit for the statue. He tweeted, "We welcome @narendramodi to Bangalore to inaugurate the statue of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda. But, one must question whether @BJP4India and @BJPKarnataka government are true followers of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda and his values."
"@INCKarnataka Party are followers of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda's values. In his honor we have named Bangalore Airport as Kempegowda International Airport. Bangalore's main metro station was also christened after Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Metro Station by us," he added in another tweet.
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