Kumaraswamy writes to PM Narendra Modi on Aero India show, says 'respect people's sentiments'

Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said that the central government must respect the sentiments of people on the issue.

Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Wednesday reiterated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre must not shift Aero India show from Bengaluru to Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. During his speech at Independence Day event in Bengaluru, the Janata Dal Secular (JDS) leader said that the central government must respect the sentiments of people on the issue.

Pointing that he has already written a letter on the issue to Prime Minister Modi and Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the Karnataka Chief Minister said, “The public are strongly opposed to shifting of this event. I have written to the Prime Minister and Defence Minister and brought this issue to the notice of Members of Parliament too.”

Kumaraswamy had raised the issue on Sunday as well, saying that Bengaluru was the proper place to host the Aero India show. To assert his point, the JDS leader had said that Karnataka had all the infrastructure needed to hold an event of that stature.

Targeting the leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka, Kumaraswamy had said, “Our BJP friends in Karnataka must answer. We also requested the defence minister and told her that Bengaluru is the proper place for the Aero show event and we have all infrastructure in place as well. I don’t know why the Centre took such a decision.”

The BJP has, however, clarified that no decision has been taken yet on shifting the event out of Bengaluru. Union Minister Ananth Kumar had clarified on Tuesday that Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had confirmed that no decision had been taken on the issue yet.

The Congress has, meanwhile, alleged that the Modi government was planning to shift the show from Bengaluru to Lucknow for political gains in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the Lok Sabha polls next year.

Reacting to the issue, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara had accused the central government of taking away key defence projects from the state.

"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," he had posted on microblogging site Twitter.