Govt deliberately delaying naming Navi Mumbai airport after D B Patil: Sapkal

Mumbai, Dec 19 (PTI) Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal on Friday said the Navi Mumbai International Airport must be named after late D B Patil, accusing the BJP-led state government of delaying the decision on the issue.

Speaking to the media here, Sapkal said there was a strong public sentiment in favour of naming the airport after Patil who fought for the rights of local residents affected by development in the region.

"The people of Navi Mumbai gave their land for development. D B Patil led a long struggle for the rights of the sons of the soil, and the 12.5 per cent land compensation scheme became possible only because of his movement," Sapkal said.

The contribution of Patil, who served as both an MLA and MP from the region, to the development of Navi Mumbai, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust and the airport could not be ignored, he said.

The Congress would participate in the protest organised on December 22 by local organisations to press the demand of naming the airport after Patil, Sapkal said, adding, "Under no circumstances we will accept any other name." Commercial operations at the greenfield airport, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October, are set to commence from December 25.

Referring to the airport being described as "NM Airport" and the same initials being painted on the boundary wall, Sapkal said there was growing suspicion that it could be named for PM Narendra Modi.

Congress MPs have raised the issue in the Lok Sabha and the party would pursue it in the Rajya Sabha as well, he said.

Notably, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had said earlier that the airport would be named after D B Patil.

Sapkal also questioned why NCP MLA Manikrao Kokate had not been arrested and disqualified as a legislator even three days after being sentenced to two years' imprisonment in a cheating and forgery case. The arrest was being delayed on the pretext of medical treatment but action was taken swiftly when it comes to arresting opposition leaders, the state Congress chief said. PTI MR KRK