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Union Civil Aviation Minister Mahesh Sharma on Thursday send proposal to rename Indira Gandhi International airport as Mahatma Gandhi Airport to cabinet for final nod.
According to reports, the ministry recommended the change after examining the proposal filed by BJP general secretary Anil Jain in September last year.
Jain in his proposal has mentioned that ‘Mahatma Gandhi is the biggest icon of the country’ and demanded to change the name of New Delhi’s International Airport after ‘Father of Nation’ Mahatma Gandhi.
“I have requested this as I feel Mahatma Gandhi is the biggest icon of the country and, therefore, the capital’s airport should be named after him,” Jain told The Telegraph. “This does not mean that Indira Gandhi is not important but I think people will like it more if the name of the Mahatma is given to the airport.” Anil Jain said.
The New Delhi Municipal Council had last month changed the name of a street from Aurangzeb Road to APJ Abdul Kalam Road on the suggestion of a BJP MP, Mahesh Giri, triggering a debate on the politics of name change.
Since 1962, Delhi’s main airport was merely called “Palam airport”. In 1986, two years after Indira was assassinated, the airport was renamed after her.
It is clear that, if cabinet clears the proposal, it is again going to create new political storm in the Country.