Name Adampur airport after Guru Ravidass: Cong

Jalandhar, August 9

The Congress has demanded that the upcoming domestic airport at Adampur should be named after Guru Ravidass.

The move is being seen as an attempt to appease the Ravidassia community in the region. Jalandhar MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary said he had met Minister for Civil Aviation Ashok Gajapathi Raju on the issue.

“I thanked the minister for giving air connectivity to the NRI-dominated Doaba region as flights from the airport to Delhi will start from September 26. I have requested him to name the airport after Guru Ravidass. It will be apt for the government to name the airport, where 45 per cent population is the follower of Guru Ravidass, after the guru”, he said.

He added that the minister gave his assurance on the issue. “I gave him a copy of the recommendation with signatures of all MPs, MLAs and Dera Sant Sawan Dass”, Chaudhary said. He further added that he would meet the Chief Minister to get recommendation from the state government. He said the procedural requirements for the same would be expedited.

Amardeep Lally, former leader of the Punjab Youth Congress, expressed dissenting views. “I am personally not for making such proposals. I saw politics on our proposal to name the Mohali airport after Bhagat Singh. The decision has not been taken yet and I feel that our move, which was otherwise well-intended, ultimately resulted in dishonour of the national figure. The matter remains lingering. We recently met Rajya Sabha MP Ambika Soni on the issue to press our demand again but nothing seems in sight.” — TNS