Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 26 (ANI): Minister of State for Civil Aviation VK Singh on Monday hailed the renaming of Chandigarh airport after freedom fighter Shaheed Bhagat Singh calling it a prestigious moment for Punjab and for the whole nation.

"A very good initiative that Chandigarh airport is now renamed after freedom fighter Shaheed Bhagat Singh. It is a prestigious moment not just for Punjab, but also for the whole country," said MoS Civil Aviation Singh.

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Earlier, former Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for naming the Chandigarh airport after Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh.

In a statement, Capt Amarinder said, "it was his government, which had pursued the matter with the centre since 2017 when he took over as the Chief Minister".

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He said, it was a long pending demand of the Punjabis that the airport must be named after Shaheed Bhagat Singh, who is an outstanding symbol of valour, courage, and sacrifice for the country.

"Bhagat Singh is an inspiration for millions of youth of the country and it will be a befitting tribute to his great and glorious memory", the former chief minister remarked.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that Chandigarh airport will now be named after Shaheed Bhagat Singh as a tribute to the great freedom fighter.

"As a tribute to the great freedom fighter, it has been decided that the Chandigarh airport will now be named after Shaheed Bhagat Singh," said Modi in the 93rd episode of his monthly Mann ki Baat address.

Punjab's ruling AAP, meanwhile, claimed that the efforts of the state government were successful.

Mann tweeted, "We welcome the decision to name the Chandigarh airport after Shaheed Bhagat Singh Ji on behalf of entire Punjab...Thank you very much Prime Minister @narendramodi Ji...a big demand of Punjabis for a long time completed".

The Punjab government was in talks with Haryana last month and raised the demand to name the Chandigarh airport after Shaheed Bhagat Singh.

The AAP government further claimed that the previous government in the state hadn't been able to take consent and get the name of the airport changed and thanked the PM for accepting, what it claimed was Mann government's suggestion. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)