Suresh Prabhu tweets about ‘maharaj’ added to Mumbai airport name; so what? Ask trolls

Union minister of civil aviation Suresh Prabhu’s tweet about the new name of the international airport in Mumbai has not gone down well with Twitter users as they questioned whether the change will bring about any real development in the city or even the country.

Prabhu announced on Thursday that the international airport in Mumbai will be officially called the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport from the earlier Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. He also congratulated the people of Maharashtra for the “fulfilment of their long-pending demand” and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

But Twitter users questioned whether the addition of “Maharaj” will generate employment and help the country grow. Some asked the minister to stop the vote bank politics and focus on doing real work.

“Sir! Will this increase GDP growth or employment benefits? Why spend time on useless stuff? Please,” Vignesh sought to know.

“Will you just keep changing the name or do something?” Sanjeev Srivastava wrote.

“I think according to you change name of villages, cities, railway station and now airport will make us developed country. STOP this vote bank politics and work on development of our country,” Shubham Choudhary tweeted.

“Seriously? Do you think this is achievement? And you blame opposition for Vote Bank politics! Do something for Air India and then brag about it, rather!!” Saday Tiwari wrote.

Others pointed out that it will not help solve problems the metropolitan faces, including the roads and other crumbling infrastructure of the city that houses millions.

“Changing name won’t help.. check the state of roads just out side same airport. You will feel you are in some war ravaged country. Please have some self respect and get the roads repaired rather buttering Modi, enough of milking votes out of Shivaji Maharaj’s goodwill,” LeeMi said.

Some including, Bollywood actor Siddharth, wrote it was a “huge day” and change in the airport’s name could even stop delays in flight operations.

“Cab drivers must be instructed to refuse customers who don’t say the entire name when booking...especially foreigners. Also, no more delays in #Mumbai Airport. Huge day. Congrats guys! Thank you @narendramodi #Maharaj,” he tweeted.

“Amazing! Now there won’t be any delays in Mumbai. All flights will directly land in the airport like helicopters because of the name change,” Venkata Satish added.

Others were downright sarcastic. “Can’t believe we were disrespecting the airport all this time by not calling it Maharaj,” dorku said. “Next Govt in power be like; “Sinhasana Dhishwar, Kshatriya Kulwanta Chatrapathi Shivaji Maharaj ki Jai Airport,” Nikhil More tweeted.

“Mumbai should just start calling potholes ‘Maharaj Shivaji’. All problems solved. #FridayFeeling,” Raghav Chopra wrote.

The BJP-led Maharashtra government decided to change the names of the airport and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station and added “Maharaj” to both in December last year, saying the Maratha warrior king deserves more respect.

The airport was earlier known as the Sahar International Airport while the railway station – a Unesco Heritage Site – was called Victoria Terminus. They were renamed after the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance came to power in the state in 1995.