Missing DB Patil renaming at NΜΙΑ launch irks locals

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis only making brief mentions of late farmer leader DB Patil and not announcing his name for the newly inaugurated Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), villagers expressed deep disappointment after the ceremony.

- Raina Assainar and Sameera Kapoor Munshi

Just before the inauguration, Dashrat Patil, president of the NMIA Kruti Samiti (All-Party Action Committee), had been hopeful. “I am sure today is the day the airport will get its much-deserved name. Our hard work will not go to waste,” he told the Free Press Journal.

However, during the ceremony, PM Modi merely said, “Today I would also like to remember the great leader DB Patil, who toiled for farmers and remains an inspiration to all of us.” CM Fadnavis, too, recalled the leader's contribution but stopped short of making any announcement.