In a move which will bring the ruling and opposition parties in Maharashtra together, the Centre will name three airports in Aurangabad, Shirdi and Kolhapur after Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, Saibaba and Mahalaxmi respectively. This was revealed by the union minister of state for finance Bhagwat Karad.
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray after taking over in November 2019 had said that the Maha Vikas Aghadi government has urged the Centre to name Aurangabad airport after the warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji’s son Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. Subsequently, the state government had sent a formal proposal urging the Centre to name the Aurangabad airport as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Airport. Thackeray had recently said the Centre’s approval is expected soon.
This was to checkmate BJP which has criticized the Shiv Sena led Maha Vikas Aghadi government and Thackeray in particular for dilly dallying over the renaming Aurangabad as Sambhajinagar. The controversy over renaming Aurangabad as Sambhajinagar has been going on for the last 28 years.
Shiv Sena Supremo late Balasaheb Thackeray had given this slogan for the first time in 1988. Although the renaming has been stuck up in a political slugfest, the Centre’s move to name Aurangabad as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Airport will be important ahead of upcoming civic body elections.
Earlier, Mumbai International Airport was renamed as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.
Karad said the Centre has proposed to rename 13 airports including Aurangabad, Shirdi and Kolhapur, adding that the decision will be taken soon. He noted that the Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia will put up a proposal for cabinet’s approval.
