Rename Rajkot airport after Keshubhai, says son; Congress backs demand

Bharat Patel said the airport should be named after his father, Keshubhai, in recognition of the leader’s contribution towards the development of the Saurashtra region. 

The son of late Gujarat Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel, Bharat Patel, has demanded that Rajkot’s newly built international airport at Hirasar be named after his father who was a two-time Gujarat Chief Minister.

Mr. Patel said the airport should be named after his father in recognition of the leader’s contribution towards the development of the Saurashtra region. 

Endorsing Mr. Patel’s demand, Rajya Sabha member and corporate leader Parimal Nathwani wrote on X, “I support Bharat Patel’s proposal to rename Rajkot Hirasar Airport after the late Shri Keshubhai Patel. Keshubhai Patel was a distinguished leader from Saurashtra and served as Gujarat’s Chief Minister. It would be a matter of pride to honour his legacy by naming the airport after him.”

Congress leader Manhar Patel supported Mr. Nathwani and said the BJP government in the State must propose to name the new airport as Keshubhai Patel International Airport. “I want to ask why no BJP leader has supported the move? Was Keshubhai not a BJP leader,” he asked. 

The State BJP has not responded. 

Keshubhai was removed as Chief Minister in 2001 to pave the way for Narendra Modi. In 2012, he quit the BJP and floated the Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP) and won the Assembly election from Visavadar. However, before the 2014 Lok Sabha election, the GPP was dissolved and its workers merged with the BJP. 

Keshubhai died during Covid-19. 

Published - October 02, 2024 03:23 am IST