A group of Shiv Sena workers vandalised and then brought down a hoarding recently erected by the Adani Airport Holding Ltd (AAHL) outside the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai on Monday, 2 August.
The group, led by Bharatiya Kamgar Sena (BKS) General Secretary Sanjay Kadam and others, was protesting against what they alleged was a unilateral move by AAHL to abruptly "change" the name of the CSMIA and replace it with the Adani Group brand name, reported IANS.
'Insult to People of Maharashtra'
"The AAHL has merely been permitted to manage the Mumbai Airport and they cannot make any changes to the name, etc. This is an insult to the people of Maharashtra. We shall not tolerate this," one of the workers told IANS.
Raising slogans of "Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj ki jai ho", the Sainiks trooped onto the landscaped garden, planted saffron flags, and uprooted the AAHL hoarding.
BKS president and Sena Lok Sabha MP Arvind Sawant said any attempt to change the airport's name will not be tolerated and called it an insult to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, reported The Hindu.
PTI reported that some of the workers later came onto the Western Express Highway located nearby, disrupting traffic on the city's north-south arterial road.
Police told PTI that some of those involved in the incident have been detained and the process of registering a case is underway.
No Change Made to Branding of Airport: AAHL
Meanwhile, an AAHL spokesperson said that the company has only replaced the previous branding with Adani Airports branding after the company took over the prestigious airport last month.
"No change has been made to the CSMIA's branding or positioning at the airport terminal. The branding at the CSMIA is in compliance with the norms and guidelines of the Airport Authority of India Ltd," the spokesperson said.
The AAHL assured it would continue to adhere to all the guidelines laid out by the government in the interest of the aviation community.
Adani Enterprises-owned AAHL took over the management of Mumbai International Airport Ltd from GVK Group on Tuesday, 13 July.
The development came after approvals by the Centre as well as Maharashtra government. Maharashtra’s City and Industrial Development Corporation's (CIDCO) approval was also sought before the acquisition.
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