Chandigarh airport will be renamed after freedom fighter Bhagat Singh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced today on his monthly radio address “Mann Ki Baat”. The move is being seen as BJP’s one-up against the Aam Aadmi Party over the martyred legend’s legacy.
“As a tribute to the great freedom fighter, it has been decided that the Chandigarh airport will now be named after Shaheed Bhagat Singh,” PM Modi said.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann welcomed the announcement, saying a long pending demand of Punjabis has been fulfilled.
“Finally our efforts paid off. On behalf of entire Punjab, we welcome the decision of naming the Chandigarh airport after Shaheed Bhagat Singh ji,” Mr Mann said in a tweet in Punjabi.
Haryana’s Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala also welcomed the announcement.
Mr Chautala said Punjab and Haryana governments had earlier agreed to name the Chandigarh international airport after Bhagat Singh. The decision had come after Bhagwant Mann and Dushyant Chautala held a meeting over this issue last month.
Referring to his meeting, Mr Mann said the Punjab government had also sent a letter to the Union Civil Aviation Ministry, saying that Bhagat Singh’s birth anniversary falls on September 28, and it will be good if the airport could be named after the legendary freedom fighter before that.
