From AAP to BJP, Cong to Akali Dal, one common hero: Bhagat Singh

Narendra Modi's renaming of Chandigarh airport follows AAP celebration of him, Akali-BJP efforts earlier

5 min readChandigarhUpdated: Sep 27, 2022 06:23 AM IST

Ageless in death, Bhagat Singh has always been the mascot of the youth in the region. (File)

Bhagat Singh. This name spells magic not just in Punjab but in Haryana as well. The freedom fighter, who was executed in Lahore jail in 1931 when he was all of 23, is the great unifier whose appeal cuts across the barriers of religion, caste, age, gender, ideology, and politics. No wonder Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement that Chandigarh airport will now be named after the revolutionary, two days before his 115th birth anniversary on September 28, has gladdened all of Punjab and Haryana.

Although inaugurated by PM Modi in September 2015, the airport was yet to get a proper name due to the jostling between the two states. A joint venture between the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the governments of Haryana and Punjab, the airport’s terminal complex is in Mohali, Punjab. Both the states have been trying to put their signature on it by including either Mohali or Panchkula in the name. Last month, however, Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann signalled that they had arrived at Shaheed Bhagat Singh as the consensus name. However, doubts persisted as Chautala said the title would also include Panchkula. The PM laid all doubts to rest.

Ageless in death, Bhagat Singh has always been the mascot of the youth in the region. The Bhagwant Singh Mann government put its official stamp on him when it took the oath of office at his ancestral village of Khatkar Kalan on March 16 amid slogans of “inquilab Zindabad”. The CM also announced that every government office would now have Singh’s picture along with that of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, besides declaring March 23, the day on which he was sent to the gallows, a state holiday.

Also read | Punjab, Haryana agree to name Chandigarh international airport after Bhagat Singh

In May, the AAP, which positions itself as the protector of Bhagat Singh’s legacy, sought to paint BJP as anti-Singh by accusing the Karnataka government of deliberately removing a chapter on the martyr from the Class 10 textbooks. The state government later denied the accusation and said the chapter was very much in print.

While the AAP may have been the first government to appropriate Bhagat Singh on such a scale, every political party has paid its respect to him.

At the height of the turmoil in Punjab, then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi also sought to invoke Bhagat Singh when he visited the National Martyrs’ Memorial at Hussainiwala in Ferozepur district on March 23, 1985, months after the assassination of PM Indira Gandhi. Bhagat Singh and his comrades were cremated at Hussainiwala after their bodies were surreptitiously brought here by the British authorities after their execution.

Also read | Mann Ki Baat: Chandigarh Airport to be named after Bhagat Singh, says PM Modi

In 2015, Narendra Modi, wearing a basanti turban, became the second prime minister to visit Hussainiwala. Earlier, in 2013, he had, as the PM candidate, chosen to release a book on Singh’s prison diary even though it’s a part treatise on his Leftist ideology.

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In 2007, the jail notebook with handwritten pages was published by the governments of Punjab and Haryana. The Parliament complex installed his 18-foot-tall bronze statue on Independence Day in 2008. The Akali Dal-BJP government laid the foundation stone of the Shaheed-e-Azam Sardar Bhagat Singh Memorial and Museum at Khatkar Kalan during their tenure. It was finally inaugurated by the then CM Captain Amarinder Singh in 2018.

Bhagat Singh was also the icon of the year-long farmers’ agitation against the three farm laws, which were repealed in November 2021.

Prof Chaman Lal, who has dedicated his life to researching the revolutionary, attributes Bhagat Singh’s wide appeal to the breadth of his ideals. “Anyone who has done a lay reading of Bhagat Singh’s writings would know that he sought freedom not just from the British but also from poverty, corruption, discrimination, and communalism, issues that affect all of us in one way or the other.’’

After the AAP, the Haryana BJP has also been focusing on Bhagat Singh. The party observed his death anniversary on March 23 at 306 places in the state using the tagline “Mera rang de basanti chola”, with BJP chief OP Dhankar leading youngsters to places associated with the freedom fighter and his companions.

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While everyone loves Bhagat Singh, Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) leader Simranjit Singh Mann, the maverick Sangrur MP, has often courted controversy by calling the freedom fighter a “terrorist” for killing an “innocent English officer and a baptised constable”. In December 2007, he was arrested in Patiala for this very reason. There was much uproar in the political circles this July when he made the same statement in response to a question. But like many of his other opinions, it’s considered fringe. And it’s never had any bearing on the cult of Bhagat Singh.

Bhagat Singh himself said, “Revolution (inquilab) is not a culture of bomb and pistol. Our meaning of revolution is to change the present conditions, which are based on manifest injustice.”

Manraj Grewal Sharma

Manraj Grewal Sharma is a senior journalist and the Resident Editor of The Indian Express in Chandigarh, where she leads the newspaper’s coverage of north India’s most politically and institutionally significant regions. From Punjab and Haryana to Himachal Pradesh and the Union Territory of Chandigarh, she oversees reporting at the intersection of governance, law, politics and society. She also reports on the diaspora, especially in Canada and the US. With a career spanning journalism across several countries, academia and international development, Manraj brings a rare depth of perspective to regional reporting. She is widely regarded as a leading chronicler of Punjab’s contemporary history and socio-political evolution, particularly its long shadow of militancy, federal tensions and identity politics. Her book, Dreams after Darkness, remains a definitive account of the militancy years and their enduring aftermath. Professional Background & Expertise A gold medalist in mass communication and a post-graduate in English literature, Manraj has a multifaceted career spanning journalism, academia, and international development. She was also awarded a fellowship by National Foundation of India and did several in-depth pieces on Manipur. Internationally, she has reported from Israel, US, UK, Myanmar, and Mauritius Her key focus areas include: Regional Politics, History, Agriculture, Diaspora, and Security. Of late, she has started focusing on Legal & Judicial Affairs: Much of her recent work involves reporting on high-stakes cases in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, ranging from environmental policy to civil rights. International Consulting: She previously served as a consulting editor for the Asia Pacific Adaptation Network and a publishing consultant for the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Manila. Academia: For five years, she was the managing editor of Gender, Technology and Development, a peer-reviewed international journal at the Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reportage focuses heavily on judicial interventions and regional governance: 1. Environment & Governance "‘NGT can’t test legality of policy’: HC hears challenge to Punjab’s ‘Green Habitat’ plan" (Dec 22, 2025): Covering a critical legal battle over whether the National Green Tribunal has the authority to strike down a state policy regularizing farmhouses on delisted forest land. "High court pulls up Punjab poll panel over audio clip probe" (Dec 10, 2025): Reporting on judicial concerns regarding the transparency and fairness of local body elections. 2. Legal Rights & Social Welfare "HC issues notice to Punjab, Haryana over delay in building old age homes" (Dec 22, 2025): Reporting on a contempt petition against top officials for failing to establish government-run homes for the elderly as promised in 2019. "Victims can appeal acquittals in sessions court without seeking special leave" (Dec 19, 2025): Highlighting a significant procedural shift in criminal law following a Supreme Court ruling. "HC upholds benefits for Punjab FCI officer acquitted in 20-year-old bribery case" (Dec 19, 2025): A report on the concept of "honourable acquittal" and its impact on employee benefits. 3. Human Rights & Identity "As Punjab denies parole to MP Amritpal Singh, HC asks it to submit ‘foundational material’" (Dec 1, 2025): Covering the legal proceedings regarding the radical preacher and sitting MP's request to attend Parliament. "Protecting life paramount: HC backs Muslim woman in live-in after verbal divorce" (Nov 6, 2025): Analyzing judicial protections for personal liberty in the context of traditional practices. Signature Beats Manraj is recognized for her ability to decode complex judicial rulings and relate them to the everyday lives of citizens. Whether it is a 30-year-old land battle in Fazilka or the political implications of Kangana Ranaut’s candidacy in Mandi, her writing provides deep historical and regional context. Contact @grewal_sharma on X manrajgrewalsharma on Instagram ... Read More

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