CPI(M) senior leader Ch. Narsinga Rao alleged that the Visakhapatnam airport is being closed to benefit the GMR group, and demanded that it to continue operating as a domestic airport.

Addressing a protest at Maddilapalem on Sunday as part of the party’s ‘Black Day’, he said the Bhogapuram airport should operate as an international airport, while the Visakhapatnam airport must not be shut down.

CPI(M) district secretary M. Jaggu Naidu and other leaders demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee inquiry into the reported ₹5,000 crore expenditure on the Bhogapuram airport. They alleged discrepancies in the figures. The leaders also sought employment for locals at Bhogapuram and criticised the government over the proposed closure of the existing airport.