A group of slogan-shouting Shiv Sainiks vandalised and tore down a brand new hoarding erected by the Adani Airport Holding Ltd (AAHL) outside the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport here on Monday afternoon.
The Sainiks, led by Sanjay Kadam and others, were protesting against what they alleged the AAHL’s unilateral move to abruptly “change” the name of the CSMIA and replace it with the Adani Group brand name.
“The AAHL has merely only 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,” said one Sainik at the site.
Raising slogans of “Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj ki Jai ho”, the Sainiks trooped onto the landscaped garden, planted saffron flags, and uprooted the AAHL name-hoarding in English and Marathi before stomping out of there.
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 at large.