Mumbai, Jun 18 (IANS): Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray on Tuesday urged the new NDA government at the Centre to prioritise the long-pending proposal for an airport in the tribal district of Palghar, and renaming of the airports in Navi Mumbai and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

In a letter to the Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, Thackeray said that the proposals were sent nearly five years ago by the Maha Vikas Aghadi government which was in power from November 2019 - June 2022.

“Sir, I write to you, seeking your intervention on an issue that is truly simple, yet due to the malice of the BJP towards Maharashtra, has been pending for the past 4 years. Two airports were renamed by the MVA government during its term, and the proposals were sent to the Union government thereafter,” said Thackeray Jr. to Minister Naidu, of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

Aditya Thackeray has expressed hope that with the inclusion of N. Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP into the NDA, people are looking at inclusive voices in governance and believe that democracy will be protected.

The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (formerly, Aurangabad) was renamed as ‘Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Airport, and the airport coming up in Navi Mumbai was named the ‘D.B. Patil International Airport’, said the former state minister.

“Repeated requests were made to implement the same, but the earlier BJP government, which has been anti-Maharashtra, did not pay heed to the requests made by the MVA government and the citizens of Maharashtra,” claimed Thackeray Jr.

Thackeray pointed out that the government had also begun work for an airport in the Palghar district, that could be a third airport for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, thereby supporting the region and west coast of India, both in passenger and cargo traffic.

“This proposal too, despite repeated requests, was ignored by the BJP…. You representing a strong regional force and understanding sentiments and emotions of states, would hopefully take up our requests and give honour and respect to the state of Maharashtra,” he said in the letter.