Will approach defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman, an MP from Karnataka, to lobby against the move, Rajeev Chandrasekhar says.
Bengaluru: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may be staring at a backlash from its leaders in Karnataka following reports that the AeroIndia exposition may be shifted from Bengaluru to Lucknow this year.
AeroIndia, is a premier biennial aviation event that doesn’t just draw civilians to witness magnificent aircraft feats, but also attracts exhibitors from around the world.
It has been held in Bengaluru since 1996, but the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government has reportedly been lobbying for a chance to host the show. Reports that the Centre was favourably inclined to the proposal have not gone down well in Karnataka, where the show is considered a matter of pride.
BJP Member of Parliament Rajeev Chandrasekhar said he was not averse to the idea of another edition of the exhibition being held in Lucknow, adding that AeroIndia could not be moved out of Bengaluru altogether.
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“The aero show takes place between February and March every year in Bengaluru, so I can’t believe that a decision has been made to take it out of the city,” he told ThePrint.
“But I don’t have a problem if Lucknow is going to have it in October as long as what is scheduled for Bengaluru in February-March also happens,” he added.
“I am of the opinion that AeroIndia was brought to Bengaluru with a lot of effort by people who believed that Bengaluru is the aviation hub of the nation,” Chandrasekhar said, “So there is a strong logic, desire and rationale for it to continue in Bengaluru. But if other cities in India (also) want to have an aero show, we cannot say no.”
Adityanath’s request to host AeroIndia stems from a bid to boost defence production in UP, with any such move also expected to benefit the Centre’s plans to build a massive defence corridor in the state.
On her part, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman, a Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka, said at a press conference recently that her ministry was undecided on the shift.
Meanwhile, sworn political rivals in Karnataka stand united in their opposition to the rumoured shift, with allies Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) as well as the BJP seeking an answer from Sitharaman on the reports.
“We, BJP MPs from Karnataka, are planning to meet Nirmala Sitharamanji under the leadership of (union minister) Ananth Kumar and we will do whatever it takes to keep AeroIndia here,” Chandrasekhar said.
For Karnataka chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, who made an appeal to Sitharaman too, the affair is also serving as a useful poll pitch ahead of 2019.
“I have been told that they (Centre) have already made up their mind and have taken a decision to move the aero show. I am not sure, though, as I am yet to get an official intimation from them,” Kumaraswamy said.
“Our BJP friends in Karnataka have to answer. We requested defence minister Nirmalaji when she visited Bengaluru, that this is the proper place for the aero show as we already have all the infrastructure. I don’t know why the Centre is taking such a decision,” he added.
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Former chief minister Siddaramaiah weighed in on social media: “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 (sic).”
He was referring to allegations that aerospace major HAL was overlooked for a contract related to the Rafale deal in favour of an Anil Ambani company, a claim denied by the latter Sunday.
“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 (sic),” he added.