Mangaluru : Countering BJP district chief’s claim that, Congress using caste politics over Mangaluru International Airport, Harish Kumar said, Congress no need to play caste politics. BJP is exemplary in caste politics. BJP has formed development corporations of all castes, and nearly 20 such corporations are formed but has no office bearers. Such moves are taken only for political mileage. Congress has always been treating everyone equally.

District Congress President Harish Kumar has urged the demand of the Congress Party to name the Mangaluru International Airport after Tulunadu folk legends Koti Chennaya.

Speaking to reporters at the party office here on November 20, Friday, the state government has no authority to name an airport, Harish Kumar said in that case, the State Cabinet must pass a resolution and then send it to the Centre. Even the MP can raise the issue in the parliament, he added.

He also recalled that the local Malavoor Gram Panchayat had passed a resolution four years ago itself to name the airport after Koti Chennaya. The resolution was sent to the ZP which in turn had sent it to the state government. “The Government is not interested in naming the airport after Koti Chennaya therefore, it has returned the proposal,” he alleged.

He also questioned why the Mangaluru International Airport was leased to the Adani Group for 50 years and suspected a hidden agenda of the Union Government behind this.

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi had come for election campaign he had spoken of the connection between the coast and Gujarat and one had hoped that the local products would find market in Gujarat. But the Prime Minister had eyed the Airport and had handed it over to Adani, he said.

Referring to District BJP Chief Sudarshan’s statement that the MP Nalin Kumar Kateel had appealed in 2012 itself to rename the airport after Koti Chennaya and is still striving in this direction, he should produce evidence that can prove at what stage was the MP’s proposal, he said.

Party leaders Mithun Rai, Sadashiva Ullal, Shashidhar Hegde, A C Vinay Raj, T K Sudhir and others were present.