Chandigarh airport will be renamed after Bhagat Singh as a tribute to the great freedom fighter on the 115th birth anniversary. Recently, Prime Minister Modi on his monthly radio programme, Mann Ki Baat announced changing the name of the airport.
Modi said that September 28 is an important day of 'Amrit Mahotsav' as it is the birth anniversary of Bhagat Singh.
"Just before the birth anniversary of Bhagat Singh, an important decision has been taken as a tribute to him. It has been decided that the Chandigarh airport will now be named after Shaheed Bhagat Singh. It had been in waiting for a long time," Modi said.
He congratulated the people of Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana, and the rest of the country for this decision.
"Let us take inspiration from our freedom fighters, follow their ideals and build the India of their dreams... this is our tribute to them. The memorials of martyrs, the names of places and institutions named after them inspire us with a sense of duty," the PM Modi said.
Several incumbent and former Punjab and Haryana chief ministers welcomed the decision. However, the announcement also triggered a race to claim credit for the decision.
This is the result of the strenuous efforts of the state government, an official statement quoting Mann said. He said it is a dream come true for him and every Punjabi as his government has been making concerted efforts in this regard.
Former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh said it was his government (when he was in the Congress), which had pursued the matter with the Centre since 2017. In a statement, he said it was a long-pending demand of Punjabis that the airport is named after Bhagat Singh, who is an outstanding symbol of valour, courage, and sacrifice for the country.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar expressed gratitude to the prime minister for his announcement.
According to an official statement, Khattar said Bhagat Singh's birth anniversary falls on September 28, and renaming the Chandigarh airport after him before his birthday is significant.
Former Haryana CM Om Prakash Chautala said Punjab and Haryana governments had earlier agreed to rename the Chandigarh international airport after Bhagat Singh.
The decision came after Mann and Chautala held a meeting over this issue last month.
Referring to his meeting with Chautala, Mann said, "We held discussions, and then a consensus was reached".
"Later, the Punjab government 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.
"I am happy that our efforts bore fruit and the prime minister announced the Mann Ki Baat programme," said Mann.
The Punjab government in 2017 had demanded that the airport be named "Shaheed-e-Azam Sardar Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport, Mohali".
Though the Haryana government had no objection to the use of Bhagat Singh's name, it had raised concerns about the use of 'Mohali' in the airport's name.
