Why Jamnagar Airport gets international status for Ambani bash: Congress

Why has Gujarat’s Jamnagar Airport been granted the status of an international airport amid the pre-wedding festivities of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant, Congress national spokesperson Dr Shama Mohamed questioned and alleged discrimination.
“Jamnagar airport is a defence airport. But it gets international status for Anant Ambani’s pre-wedding bash. Three union ministries have been assigned to the task. The airport passenger building has been expanded & toilets have been renovated. Kannur Airport which started operations in 2018 still does not have Point of Call (no foreign airlines can operate). Isn’t this discrimination @narendramodi?” the Congress leader posted on X.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh tweeted: “When it comes to helping out his rich industrialist friends, Prime Minister Modi is willing to do anything. For billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s son’s wedding, he has declared Jamnagar airport an international airport for 10 days. He has ordered the doubling of the size of the passenger terminal — with taxpayer money — just to make life more convenient for the wedding guests. The Jamnagar airport is close to the Pakistan border, and is sensitive to defence concerns — but the private jets of the wedding guests have even been allowed to use the Indian Air Force -technical area.”

According to reports, the Indian Air Force has granted temporary international status to the Jamnagar Airport from February 25 to March 1. This comes amid the three-day festivity in Jamnagar to be attended by the who’s who from the country and abroad.
As the celebrities started to arrive on March 1, Jamnagar Airport was the heart of all the excitement as the guest list included Rihanna, former Prime Minister of Sweden Carl Bildt, former Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper, President of Google Donald Harrison, former President of Bolivia, Jorge Quiroga, former Prime Minister of Australia Kevin Rudd and Chairperson of the World Economic Forum Klaus Schwab among others. Many guests are arriving by chartered planes.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan, Microsoft founder Bill Gates are also on the 1,200-person guest list. Bollywood also marks a maximum presence at the festivity.
March 1 was the first day of the festivity with all three days dedicated to a specific dress code and new theme. Guests will don jungle-themed outfits to visit an animal rescue center run by the groom-to-be, Anant. Known as “Vantara,” or “Star Of The Forest,” the 3,000-acre (about 1,200-hectare) centre houses abused, injured and endangered animals, particularly elephants, the invitation said. Guests are to be served 500 dishes created by 100 chefs in this prelude to Anant-Radhika’s gala wedding in July.
Jamnagar Airport is a domestic airport and an Indian Air Force base. It is nearest to the venue where the Ambani festivity is being held. Anant Ambani said he wanted the bash to take place in Jamnagar as this is his home. Jamnagar houses the main oil refinery of Reliance. Anant said he was also inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s wed-in-India call where Modi urged youngsters to choose Indian locations for destination weddings.