Amarinder urges PM Modi to name airport after Bhagat Singh

Khatkar Kalan (Pb): Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh today urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to name Chandigarh International Airport after freedom fighter Bhagat Singh as he flagged off the five-day padyatra by party’s youth wing, over the issue here.

“It is unfortunate that youth Congress workers have to struggle to get the airport named after the great martyr, which should otherwise have been done in normal course,” he said.

Flagging off the march at Bhagat Singh’s native place, Amarinder “regretted” that BJP governments both at Centre and Haryana were giving preference to Mangal Sein – an RSS leader and former Haryana Deputy Chief Minister – over Bhagat Singh, who had laid down his life for the country’s freedom.

The Congress MP from Amritsar also condemned Punjab Chief Minister’s “silence” on the issue till state Youth Congress raised the matter.

Congratulating the party’s state youth wing leaders, particularly its chief Amarjit Lally, for launching the 115-km march, Amarinder said, the entire senior leadership stood by them.

Addressing the youths at the gathering, the former Chief Minister of the state said that he understood their urges and aspirations and promised to meet their expectations.

Reiterating, if Congress comes to power in Punjab after the 2017 Assembly polls, it will ensure at least one job per family, Amarinder pledged to eradicate drug problem in the state within four weeks and said, all corrupt persons would be severely punished.

Speaking on the occasion, Congress Legislative Party leader in Punjab Charanjit Singh Channi lashed out at the state government, particularly Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for allegedly failing the state in all respect.

Addressing the rally, Lally announced that the padyatra was only the first phase of the struggle to get Chandigarh airport named after Shaheed Bhagat Singh.