HYDERABAD: Chief minister-designate of residuary state of Andhra Pradesh N Chandrababu Naidu’s proposal to rename Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, located at Shamshabad, after TDP founder NT Rama Rao, seems to be snowballing into a major controversy.
A day after Naidu had announced that he would try to rename Shamshabad airport after his party founder NTR’s name, his trusted lieutenant and newly-inducted Union minister P Ashok Gajapati Raju backed Naidu’s argument.
Soon after taking charge as the new Civil Aviation Minister at the ministry’s headquarters in Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan in Delhi on Thursday, Raju announced that they would soon rename the Shamshabad international airport after the name of NTR.
However, this proposal has attracted stiff opposition from the Congress as well as the TRS.
Congress veteran and Rajya Sabha member V Hanumantha Rao came down heavily on the TDP leadership for deciding to change the name of Shamshabad airport, which was named after former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Taking strong exception to the TDP’s proposal, Rao said, ‘’It is absurd to change the names of the existing institutions. If Naidu wants to name the airports after NTR, he can name the existing airports at Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam in Seemandhra to suit his wishes. We will not sit quiet, if the name of the Shamshabad airport is changed,’’ he said.
Rao wondered at the argument of Naidu that as per the original proposal the domestic terminal in Shamshabad airport was supposed to be named after NTR, saying, ‘’There is no such practice where different names are given to different terminals in the international airport.’’
Warning Naidu against changing the name of Shamshabad airport, the Congress veteran said, “How can the TDP oppose keeping Rajiv Gandhi’s name to Shamshabad airport, who had served as the prime minister of the country. If the TDP tries to belittle Rajiv Gandhi, then we will have to oppose conferring Bharat Ratna, highest civilian award, on NTR.’’
Former PCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana also found fault with Naidu’s decision to change the name of Shamshabad airport.
“If that is the case, names of existing institutions have to be changed for every five years. Instead of concentrating on how to change the name of Shamshabad airport, which was named after Rajiv Gandhi, it is better for Naidu to change the name of Gannavaram airport after NTR,” he said.
Interestingly, even the TRS has backed the argument of Congress leaders on the issue.
TRS MLA T Harish Rao denounced Naidu’s proposal, saying, “If the Centre tries to change the name of Shamshabad airport, we will vehemently oppose it. If the Centre starts changing the names of existing institutions, our government will also do the same”.