Ramanagara (Karnataka), June 20 : Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar asserted that the Ramanagara district will be renamed Bengaluru South despite the criticism from the BJP and the JD-S as Benguluru is "our identity and pride" and must not be lost.

"We are originally from Bengaluru. Bengaluru is our identity and pride. We must not lose it. Hence, regardless of the criticism from the BJP and the JD-S, I will change the name of this district to Bengaluru South," he said while addressing a government employees' association conference in Channapatna town on Friday.

"Only the name of the district will change, but the name and administrative centre of Ramanagara will remain the same. Channapatna, Ramanagara, Kanakapura, Magadi, and Harohalli will be included to form Bengaluru South. When I was a member of the Zilla Parishad, it was called the Bengaluru Rural District Parishad. When creating a separate administrative district, I suggested that we should not lose the name Bengaluru. I identify myself as Shivakumar, the son of Doddalahalli Kempegowda," he said, noting even JD-S supremo and former PM H.D. Deve Gowda has kept his hometown and father's name.

"Everyone preserves their original identity this way. Why should we give up our Bengaluru identity? Why did we rename the Kanakapura Lok Sabha constituency as Bengaluru Rural? Bengaluru is a brand, our pride. We must preserve this identity, and I will make sure to do it," he asserted.

The BJP and the JD-S can tweet or criticize all they want, but we will not give up our pride. People are happy with our decision. Some criticise that we are renaming the district for real estate purposes. I don't need to come here and do real estate. I have donated many properties to schools in my constituency," Shivakumar maintained.

"I don't claim to be poor. This is my land, the land that raised me. It's my responsibility to develop it. I can't put money in people's pockets, but I can increase their property value and empower them. That is my responsibility. Before the airport was built in Devanahalli, the land value was Rs 6 lakh per acre. Now it is over Rs 10 crore. The property value there has increased," he underlined.

On OPS (old pension scheme) and health matters, he said: "Your representatives have met and discussed with us. A committee has been formed to study where it has been implemented in other states and provide a report."

/IANS