Prime Minister Narendra Modi has almost overtaken Congress’ Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose as his ‘icon’. This time Narendra Modi’s target is Aam Aadmi Party’s new ‘icon’ Bhagat Singh.
Reason for announcement
The day before yesterday, Modi announced that Chandigarh airport will be named after Bhagat Singh. 28 September is Bhagat Singh’s birth anniversary. Just three days before that, the Prime Minister’s announcement in his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ was an attempt by the politicians to woo Bhagat Singh, the new icon of the Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab. Because Bhagwant Mann, the Chief Minister of the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab, presented himself as a follower of Bhagat Singh. In that Punjab, the BJP has started trying to overtake the Congress as the main opposition party. Political observers believe that the announcement of the decision to name the Chandigarh airport in the Prime Minister’s mouth is a part of that effort.
The Prime Minister compared the decision to name Chandigarh airport after Bhagat Singh to the installation of Subhash Chandra Bose’s statue at India Gate square in ‘Mann Ki Baat’ on the 25th. At the same time, on the day of Bhagat Singh’s birth anniversary, he also reminded us that there was a ‘surgical strike’ in Pakistan during his government. Said, “I know, just saying these two words, surgical strike, will increase everyone’s enthusiasm fourfold.” Modi said to celebrate the anniversary of the surgical strike along with Bhagat Singh’s birth anniversary at Amrit Mahotsav of Independence.
The argument regarding the name
For the past seven years, the Punjab and Haryana governments have been at loggerheads over the naming of the Chandigarh airport. Aam Aadmi Party, Congress, and Haryana simultaneously demanded to name this airport after Bhagat Singh. A few days ago, Punjab Chief Minister Mann and Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala held a meeting in this regard and demanded from the Centre. The Prime Minister announced the decision on 25th and congratulated the people of Chandigarh, Punjab, and Haryana.
BJP president JP Nadda claimed on the 25th that the Prime Minister’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’ never mentioned politics. But political observers consider Modi’s announcement that day as a political move. Because the swearing-in ceremony of Aam Aadmi Party Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann took place in Bhagat Singh’s Khatkar Kalan village after taking power in Punjab after Delhi. During the election campaign, Mann promoted himself as a follower of BR Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh. The Aam Aadmi Party Chief Minister of Punjab always wears a yellow-colored turban on his head to honor Bhagat Singh.
BJP is now looking to become the main opposition party in this Punjab. After the defeat in the assembly polls, Congress is now a broken family. Captain Amarinder Singh, who was previously without the party, has joined the BJP. Leaders like Sunil Zakhar are also in BJP. Navjot Singh Sidhu is in jail. Charanjit Singh Channi, the Dalit leader that the Congress went to polls as Chief Minister, is virtually unopposed.