Navi Mumbai: The much-anticipated October 6 morcha, planned by the D. B. Patil Navi Mumbai Airport Naming All-Party Action Committee and five coastal district organizations, has been temporarily postponed following mediation by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
However, the organizations clarified that the D. B. Patil naming movement will continue until the Navi Mumbai International Airport officially carries the name of the national leader.
CM Assures Naming Process Cleared at Centre
According to a joint statement issued by MP Suresh Mhatre and the coastal district organizations, the decision followed a detailed meeting on October 3 at Sahyadri Guest House, where the CM assured that all obstacles regarding the naming proposal had been cleared at the Central Government.
“The State Government has already approved the resolution in both the Cabinet and Legislature and sent it to the Centre. During my recent meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he conveyed that the state’s proposal will be accepted. Only a few technical formalities remain, and soon the first announcement at the airport will proudly say — ‘Welcome to Loknete D. B. Patil International Airport’,” Fadnavis informed the delegation.
The Chief Minister added that the airport will become fully operational in the next two to three months, by which time the naming process will be completed.
Decade-Long Demand Gains Momentum
The demand to name the Navi Mumbai International Airport after D. B. Patil has been ongoing for over a decade. Three years ago, protests by local “sons of the soil” prompted the then Maha Vikas Aghadi government under Uddhav Thackeray to pass a Cabinet resolution in support of the proposal.
The subsequent Mahayuti government reaffirmed the resolution and sent it to the Centre after passing it in both Houses of the Maharashtra Legislature.
Concerns Over Delay at Centre
With no movement from the Central Government for over two and a half years, local concerns had grown. Matters escalated further when ruling party representatives were absent from the June 24, 2025, all-party bike and car rally organized by the Action Committee.
MP Suresh Mhatre later raised the issue in Parliament but received no official reply. To intensify pressure, the MP and coastal district organizations had announced a massive morcha on October 6 at the airport site, with rallies, awareness drives, and symbolic protests like the removal of airport signboards.
Morcha Suspended, But Movement Continues
After CM Fadnavis’ assurance on October 3, the organizations decided to suspend the morcha temporarily “out of respect for the Chief Minister’s word and the two-month timeline he requested.”
“This is a partial victory for all sons of the soil, their organizations, and every D. B. Patil supporter. The positive response from the Prime Minister marks an important milestone. But the agitation will continue until the name Loknete D. B. Patil International Airport officially appears,” said Mhatre.
