Punjab BJP Chief Jakhar warns CM Mann against ‘petty politics’ over Adampur airport naming

Jakhar said, “Such conduct did not befit the office of the chief minister.”

The BJP leader recalled that Prime Minister Modi had announced the renaming of Adampur Airport during his visit to Hoshiarpur on May 23, 2024. He said the program for the airport’s formal naming ceremony had already been released by the Prime Minister’s Office. It needs to be mentioned that PM Modi is visiting Punjab on February 1.

“Instead of welcoming the prime minister, the chief minister has started tweeting and demanding that the airport be named after Sri Guru Ravidas Ji, even though the decision has already been taken and announced,” Jakhar said, adding that repeating an already fulfilled demand amounted to misleading the public.

He also pointed out that despite the Union Budget being presented in Parliament on February 1, the prime minister was still visiting Punjab on the occasion of Sri Guru Ravidas Ji’s Prakash Purab. This, Jakhar said, reflected the prime minister’s reverence and respect for Punjab and its spiritual heritage.

Jakhar maintained that had the chief minister raised any new demand genuinely in the interest of Punjab, he would have supported it even beyond party lines. “But by raising a demand that has already been fulfilled, it is unclear what the chief minister is trying to prove,” he said.

He further claimed that the people of Punjab were increasingly looking towards the BJP with hope, alleging that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government had pushed the state into decline on multiple fronts.

Demand to rename Hoshiarpur district

Meanwhile, Ludhiana-based social activist Sukhdev Singh Walia has written to the Punjab chief secretary and the governor of Punjab, seeking the renaming of Hoshiarpur district as Sri Guru Ravidas Nagar. Walia said that he had written a few letters in the past months as well.

In his letter, Walia said Punjab is the land of Gurus and saints and that Sri Guru Ravidas Ji had visited and stayed at Shri Khuralgarh Sahib in the Garhshankar area of Hoshiarpur district. He argued that renaming the district would be a befitting tribute to Guru Ravidas Ji, citing historical examples such as the renaming of Mokalhar to Faridkot in honour of Baba Farid after he had visited that place.

Walia pointed out, “Three important religious sites associated with Guru Ravidas Ji – Charan Choh Ganga, Tapp Asthan Shri Khuralgarh Sahib, and Minar-e-Begampura – are located in Hoshiarpur district.” Renaming the district, he said, would help further spread the message and philosophy of Guru Ravidas Ji, who envisioned a society free from discrimination.

He also cited precedents such as Mohali being officially named after Sahibzada Ajit Singh and Nawanshahr district being renamed Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar.

Procedure for changing name of district

The process of changing the name of a district begins with a proposal initiated by the state government, usually by the department concerned or the chief minister. The proposal is then placed before the state cabinet for approval. Once cleared by the cabinet, the decision is sent to the governor, who gives formal assent while acting on the aid and advice of the council of ministers. After this, the state government issues an official notification in the state gazette. The Union government is subsequently informed so that central records, including census and postal data, can be updated.