Aero Show venue debate:CM Kumaraswamy asks PM Modi not to shift Aero India out of Bengaluru.
“Defence Ministry Yet To Decide On Venue For Next Aero India Asia’s biggest Air Show”.
Aero India show is held every 2 years in Bengaluru for the last 22 years but now it seems Aero India will be saying goodbye Bengaluru and hello Lucknow ?.
Even as pressure is building up against the reported plan of the NDA government to shift ‘Aero India’ from Bengaluru to Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh,Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy today said the entire country wants the premier air show of Asia to be held in the tech hub and not elsewhere.
Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy urged the Central government on Monday not to shift the Aero India event out of Bengaluru,Amid reports that the biennial air show and aviation exhibition may be shifted to Lucknow,Kumaraswamy wrote to the Centre that Bengaluru was the “most suitable place to hold the event.
Bengaluru being the hub for defence and aviation majors of the country, is certainly the most suitable place to conduct the show,Kumaraswamy said in the letter.Hence,I would seek your indulgence in the matter to convey approval of Government of India for conducting Aero India Show-2019 at Bengaluru.
Following reports that the Defence ministry had decided to shift Aero India to Lucknow at the behest of the BJP government at the Centre in view of the coming Lok Sabha elections,Mr Kumaraswamy in a twitter message said,There is mounting pressure from all over the country against reported shifting of Aero India event from Bengaluru.Aero india is a part of brand Bengaluru.I request the central government to desist from making any such more @narendra modi PM of India”In a open letter to the Prime Minister, which was released to the press here on Monday, the Chief Minister said,As you are aware Bengaluru has become synonymous with Asia’s premier air show ‘Aero India’ biennial air-cum-defence exposition that attracts giants of the industry as well as general public. A total of 549 global and Indian companies from 51 countries had participated at the 11th edition of Aero India held during February 2017”.He said Bengaluru,being hub for the defence research,production,aviation and aerospace majors of the country and abroad,was certainly the most suitable place to conduct the air show.This had been proved right, time and again,for all these years since 1996,when the first Aero India was held in the city.To aid and assist the Union Defence Ministry,Karnataka had also suitably upgraded its infrastructure in terms of roads,public amenities and smooth flow of traffic to the venue.As the Chief Minister of the State,it will be my bounden duty to ensure best possible assistance by Team Karnataka to again host this show. Hence i would seek your indulgence in the matter to convey approval of Government of India for conducting Aero India show-2019 only at Bengaluru,” he added.
On Saturday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath asked Sitharaman in a public event to allow his state to host the Aero India show in October.I request the defence minister to hold the Aero India show in UP this time,He said I promise to provide all facilities and proper arrangement for the mega event. I request the defence minister to make the announcement in this regard soon.”
Reports about shifting the venue have triggered a public spat between the Congress and BJP.
The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President,Dinesh Gundu Rao,has written to Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, telling her that as a Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka, she had to protect the interests of the state and ensure that Aero India show was retained in Bengaluru.
Karnataka’s Congress has hit back strongly. Senior Congress leader and state Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara tweeted, saying, “Reports of #AeroIndia being moved out of Bengaluru are very unfortunate. We have been India’s Defence Hub since Independence, but under the NDA we are constantly losing key defence projects and flagship programs. I request @nsitharaman to clarify her stand on the issue.Bengaluru has been the host city for the event since its inception in 1996. The last Aero India show was held in February 2017. Parameshwara claimed that the state has been the country’s defence hub since Independence.However, he alleged that the state was losing key defense projects and flagship programs under the incumbent NDA government at the Centre.He exposed the Modi Government’s ‘Anti-Karnataka’ mindset that constantly gives Karnataka a raw deal. First by denying the Rafale deal to HAL and now with plans of shifting #AeroIndia he added.
Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah tweeted “Reports of shifting #AeroIndia, from #NammaBengaluru which has necessary infrastructure, will deepen the wound caused by the recent exit of many defence projects under @BJP4India.The exit of #Rafael project from HAL is still in the memory of people of Ktaka.We urge Ms. @nsitharaman, who is elected to Rajya Sabha from Ktaka, to first safeguard the interests of this land but neglecting will be an act of betrayal.@INCKarnataka @INCIndia he added.
State revenue minister R V Deshpande also had a meeting Home Minister Rajnath Singh regarding the issue.“Karnataka is the aerospace capital of India, a pioneer in the contribution of high tech ecosystem to the Indian Aerospace Industry by attracting 65 per cent of aerospace investments and producing a quarter of India’s Aircraft and spacecraft,”World class Aerospace park is also coming up in Bangalore.Moreover, Bangalore has been hosting the biennial Air show successfully for the past 20 years. In this background he urged the government of India to reconsider its decision,” a statement released by Deshpande’s office said.
BJP state president,BS Yeddyurappa criticised them for jumping to conclusions. Where has it been shifted?he asked. Defence Minister,Nirmala Sitharaman has clarified that Uttar Pradesh has requested it to be shifted but that no decision has been taken. Besides, all MPs from the state will ensure that it is not shifted.Yeddyurappa added that while Uttar Pradesh had requested for the venue change, ministers from Karnataka should attempt to convince Sitharaman, who is a Rajya Sabha MP from the state, against the move. “We will try our best to make sure that it is not shifted anywhere else,” he said to media persons in Gadag.
Union minister DV Sadananda Gowda said he had not heard any proposal to move the show and had only heard about it in the media,I will meet the defence minister on Tuesday and convince her against such a move, if at all it is being planned,he said.
Union Minister,Ananth Kumar tweeted, There is no decision on shifting #AeroIndia 2019 venue out of #Bengaluru to #Lucknow, as clarified by Defence Min officials. I have spoken to @nsitharaman ji, who has confirmed the same
There were similar rumours last time too, which were proved to be unfounded he tweeted.
“#AeroIndia was brought to #Bengaluru with a lot of effort by people who believed that Bengaluru is the aviation hub of the nation & there is a strong logic, desire & rationale for it to continue in Bengaluru.” says Rajeev Chandrashekar.
Students of NSUI and Mount Carmel College students started a signature campaign opposing central government against changing the location of Aero India from Bengaluru.
The Defence Ministry has received requests from a number of states including Gujarat, Rajasthan, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh to host the next Aero India, amid reports that the mega aerospace event is being moved out of its traditional venue of Bengaluru.
Official sources said the Defence Ministry is examining the requests from various states and yet to take a call on the venue for the next edition of the event.
“The ministry has received requests to host the event from Gujarat, Rajasthan, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and several other states,” said a source.
The IAF said Lucknow Airport could not match the facilities in Bengaluru even if ‘it goes into overdrive.
Bengaluru has hosted Aero India, which is Asia’s biggest air show, since 1996 when it started.
