On Sunday, October 9, Indian Railways renamed Bangalore-Mysore Tipu Express as Wodeyar Express. The name is given after the Wodeyar dynasty that ruled the Mysore state from the late 1300s till 1950. Bharatiya Janata Party MP Pratap Simha had written a letter to the Railway Ministry regarding the renaming of the train. The Ministry of Railways has now issued a letter to change the name of this train.
MP Pratap Simha tweeted, “Good news on Friday! Now instead of Tipu Express, ‘Wodeyar Express’ will serve you!! Mysore-Talaguppa train will be ‘Kuvempu Express’!!! Thank you Ashwini Vaishnav Ji and Prahlad Joshi Ji for supporting this effort, Sir!”
ಶುಕ್ರವಾರದ ಶುಭ ಸುದ್ದಿ!
— Pratap Simha (@mepratap) October 7, 2022
ಇನ್ನು ಮುಂದೆ ಟಿಪ್ಪು ಎಕ್ಸ್ಪ್ರೆಸ್ ಬದಲು “ಒಡೆಯರ್ ಎಕ್ಸ್ಪ್ರೆಸ್ “ ನಿಮಗೆ ಸೇವೆ ನೀಡಲಿದೆ!! ಮೈಸೂರು-ತಾಳಗುಪ್ಪ ರೈಲು “ಕುವೆಂಪು ಎಕ್ಸ್ಪ್ರೆಸ್” ಆಗಲಿದೆ!!! ಥಾಂಕ್ಯೂ ಅಶ್ವಿನಿ ವೈಷ್ಣವ್ @AshwiniVaishnaw ji ಮತ್ತು ಈ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನಕ್ಕೆ ಬೆನ್ನೆಲುಬಾಗಿ ನಿಂತ ಪ್ರಹ್ಲಾದ್ ಜೋಶಿ @JoshiPralhad ಸರ್! pic.twitter.com/uZzHt1uzZz
He further tweeted, “Thanks to my friend DP Satish for the cool name suggestion – ‘Kuvempu’! Thank you for your blessings.” It is notable that Kuvempu is the pen name of the great Kannada poet Kuppali Venkatappa Puttappa after whom the Mysore-Telangana train is named now. Pratap Simha had requested the name change in a meeting with the railway minister.
ಕುವೆಂಪು ಹೆಸರು ಸೂಚಿಸಿದ ಸ್ನೇಹಿತರಾದ ಡಿಪಿ ಸತೀಶ್ @dp_satish ರಿಗೆ ಧನ್ಯವಾದಗಳು! ಸದಾ ಆಶೀರ್ವದಿಸುವ ನಿಮಗೂ ಥಾಂಕ್ಯೂ.
— Pratap Simha (@mepratap) October 7, 2022
Pratap Simha also shared the letter he wrote to the Ministry of Railways requesting the name change. In this letter, Pratap Simha said, “Considering the contributions of the Wodeyar Dynasty not only for the development of the Railways but also for transforming it as a modern state, there is a strong sentiment among the people of my parliamentary constituency to rename T.No.12614113 super fast daily express between Mysore-Bengaluru City-Mysore as WODEYAR EXPRESS.”
Karnataka’s chief minister Basavaraj Bommai has welcomed this step by the Ministry of Railways. He tweeted, “Thanks to the Union Railway Minister Shri @AshwiniVaishnaw for renaming the Mysore – Bangalore Express and Talaguppa – Mysore Express as Wodeyar Express and Kuvempu Express respectively. It is an apt recognition of our rich heritage & glorious past.”
Thanks to the Union Railway Minister Shri @AshwiniVaishnaw for renaming the Mysore – Bangalore Express and Talaguppa – Mysore Express as Wodeyar Express and Kuvempu Express respectively. It is an apt recognition of our rich heritage & glorious past. pic.twitter.com/Op9GdiTkU8
— Basavaraj S Bommai (@BSBommai) October 7, 2022
However, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has expressed his displeasure with the decision. He tweeted, “BJP govt renamed Tippu Express to Wodeyar Express. Tipu irks BJP because he waged 3 wars against its British masters. Another train could have been named after Wodeyars. BJP will never be able to erase Tipu’s legacy. He scared the British while alive & scares British slaves even now.”
BJP govt renamed Tippu Express to Wodeyar Express. Tipu irks BJP because he waged 3 wars against its British masters. Another train could have been named after Wodeyars. BJP will never be able to erase Tipu’s legacy. He scared British while alive & scares British slaves even now pic.twitter.com/vsFJi5fR1D
— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) October 9, 2022
Asaduddin Owaisi is known for admiring the Islamist tyrant Tipu Sultan and presenting him as a patriot who fought against the British.
