BJP Leader Nainar Nagenthran Rejects Claims On Parandur Airport Runway

On Thursday, July 9, 2026, Tamil Nadu BJP State president Nainar Nagenthran rejected claims made by Minister R. Nirmalkumar that it is impossible to build a runway at the proposed Parandur site for the state's new airport. Nagenthran characterized the Minister's statements as "false propaganda" and described them as a betrayal to the people of Tamil Nadu.

The BJP State president accused the TVK-led state government, headed by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, of actively taking steps to hinder the economic growth of the state. According to Nagenthran, by creating obstacles for the new airport proposal, the state government is directly stalling development and hurting the future employment prospects of Tamil Nadu's youth.

Nagenthran questioned whether Minister Nirmalkumar was aware of the official clearances already associated with the project. He noted that the Airports Authority of India and the Ministry of Defence had previously granted approvals for the project. These clearances were issued after both authorities conducted a detailed study of the proposal and thoroughly considered the waterbodies located at the Parandur site.

Addressing the environmental concerns raised, Nagenthran stated that technical experts have already recommended specific solutions to protect the local waterbodies while allowing the runway to be laid. He questioned the motives behind raising new objections at this stage.

"When experts have recommended technical solutions for protecting water bodies, even while laying a runway, why should one create a fresh hurdle?" Nagenthran asked. He further questioned whether the opposition was based on a genuine technical issue or if it was a "cheap act" to sacrifice the development of Tamil Nadu for the sake of vote bank politics.

Nagenthran warned that the existing airport in Chennai has reached its capacity and cannot be expanded any further. He stressed that any further delays in the Parandur airport project would carry heavy economic consequences, warning that Tamil Nadu stands to lose numerous major investment opportunities if the project is stalled.

To prevent these economic losses, the BJP leader urged the TVK-led state government to cooperate with the Union government so that work on the Parandur airport project can continue without further disruption.