The Centre’s decision to name the domestic terminal of Rajiv Gandhi International Airport after former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister NT Rama Rao has rocked the Telangana Assembly on Friday.

Leaders of Telangana Rashtra Samithi and Congress strongly opposed the decision. Flaying the move, the Chief Minister, K Chandrasekhara Rao, wondered why the Union Government chose to name it after an Andhra leader.

“The Government can consider the names of Adivasi leader Komuram Bheem or Telangana Armed Struggle veteran Chakali Ilamma,” he said.

The Centre had on Thursday decided to name the domestic terminal on late NTR. While shifting the international airport to Shamshabad, the then Congress Government named it after former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi (the international terminal was named after him at the Begumpet airport) but chose not to name the domestic terminal. This had attracted criticism from the Telugu Desam Party.

Now that Ashok Gajapathi Raju, a TDP leader, is holding the Civil Aviation Ministry in the coalition government, the Andhra Pradesh Government could influence the Union Government for naming the domestic terminal at the new airport on late NTR.

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Published on November 21, 2014