High Court Upholds Renaming of Basavanagudi Ward to Dodda Ganapathi

The Karnataka High Court dismissed a public interest litigation that challenged the government's decision to rename Basavanagudi ward in Bengaluru to Dodda Ganapathi. The court rejected the petition, emphasizing that renaming a ward does not qualify as a matter for public interest litigation, and noted ongoing ward boundary adjustments.

The Karnataka High Court on Thursday upheld the government's decision to rename Basavanagudi ward as Dodda Ganapathi, dismissing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed against the move. The PIL, filed by Satyalaxmi Rao and other residents, argued that the original name of the ward held significant historical and cultural value for the local community.

A division bench led by Chief Justice N V Anjaria and Justice K V Aravind rejected the petition, stating that, ''The issue of renaming a ward or city does not constitute a matter for public interest litigation. No public interest has been demonstrated to warrant relief for the petitioner.''

The court highlighted that the Urban Development Department had issued a notification renaming the ward on September 25, 2023, and noted that the authorities were in the process of redrawing several ward boundaries across Bengaluru. Given this context, the court determined that there was no basis for the PIL and dismissed it without further consideration.