Decision of the Union Civil Aviation Ministry to rename the domestic terminal of Shamshabad International Airport in Hyderabad after the former Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party founder NT Rama Rao, triggered strong protests in and outside the State Assembly.
The Assembly unanimously passed a resolution demanding that the present name of the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport should not be changed till the views of the Telangana Government are not sought.The Civil Aviation Ministry headed by P Ashok Gajapati Raju of the TDP had issued the orders on Thursday for changing the name of the airport.
In the State Assembly, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao moving the resolution opposing the renaming of the airport, said, "Here we are not discussing the issue of naming airport after NTR. We are discussing how a neighbouring State can take a decision of naming our airport," he said.
He rejected the criticism of Telugu Desam Party members that he was showing disrespect towards NTR. The resolution regretted the change of the airport’s name without consulting the Telangana Government. The present status of the airport name should continue, the resolution said.Congress legislature Party leader K Jana Reddy supported the resolution and demanded that the name of Rajiv Gandhi Airport should continue as it is. Earlier, T Jeevan Reddy of the Congress and other MlAs protested and shouted slogans in the House. "Even after the bifurcation of the State, Seemandhra leaders are trying to continue their dominance," Jeevan Reddy said.
But, the TDP floor leader E Dayakar Rao opposed the resolution saying the domestic name of Hyderabad airport was NTR terminal till YS Rajasekhara Reddy Government changed it and named both the domestic and international airport after Rajiv Gandhi. "Rajiv Gandhi's name has not been removed. Only domestic airport has been renamed," he said amid bitter row between the Treasury and TDP benches.
While YSRCP, MIM, CPI and CPI(M) supported the resolution, G Kishan Reddy of the BJP demanded amendment to the resolution. He reminded K Jana Reddy and T Jeevan Reddy of the Congress that they had learnt the ropes of politics from NTR.Kishan Reddy also recalled that entire airport was named after Rajiv Gandhi when the airport was shifted from Begumpet to Shamshabad.He questioned as to why every project and important place in the State was named after Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi and not after people like Kumaram Bheem, a tribal freedom fighter.
When Speaker S Madhusudhana Chary announced that the House had unanimously adopted the resolution, the TDP members stood up to protest. Amidst the ruckus, the Speaker adjourned the House.Meanwhile, a Minister from Andhra Pradesh Achchan Naidu questioned the Telangana Government's stand on renaming of the airport. "Why is KCR, who was brought into politics by NTR, questioning the renaming of the airport," he asked.
The TDP leaders maintained that it was not proper to confine NTR only to the Andhra region. Another TDP leader M Narasimhlu said that he will go on a fast at the NTR Ghat in Hyderabad to protest against the resolution of the Telangana Assembly.