Aam Aadmi Party’s Patiala MP was among others who took part in a protest rally here, demanding the Centre to name the new civil air terminal in the district after Bhagat Singh “without further delay“.

AAP’s Patiala MP Dharamvira Gandhi took part in the protest, which was led by Bhagat Singh’s 57-year-old nephew Abhay Singh Sandhu.

“The airport should have been named after Shaheed Bhagat Singh much earlier. But now it should not be further delayed and the Government should immediately do the needful,” the MP said.

The protesters, who gathered here from different parts of the country, in a symbolic gesture also fixed a temporary board near the protest site with a picture of the martyr and an aeroplane at the top, with the caption which read “Shaheed-e-Azam Sardar Shaheed Bhagat Singh International airport“.

Sandhu said the decision to name the airport after Bhagat Singh was taken by the Punjab Government in 2007 during his birth centenary celebrations.

Later, the Punjab Assembly also unanimously passed a resolution in this regard, he said.

Notably, the Punjab government had been demanding that the airport be named as ‘Shaheed-e-Azam Sardar Shaheed Bhagat Singh International airport, Mohali’

However, Haryana government had objected to ‘Mohali’ word and insisted on keeping its name after Chandigarh, though the State Government had maintained it had no objection over the use of Bhagat Singh’s name.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 11 inaugurated the new civil air terminal building at Chandigarh Airport, which will handle both domestic as well as international flights.

“But when it was inaugurated, the Shaheed’s name was ignored. This is an insult to the martyrs. When (Punjab) Government itself had proposed to name the airport after the martyr, then it should have been done..,” Mr. Sandhu said.

Sandhu also said that the Centre should issue a notification and name the airport after Bhagat Singh without further delay.

He said today 35 different organisations connected with Bhagat Singh across the country and common people, who were inspired by him, held a demonstration here to protest the . “insult heaped on the freedom fighter who played a stellar role to free the country from British rule.” - PTI