As Yogi Lobbies to Shift Aero India to Lucknow, Upset Karnataka Deputy CM Questions Defence Ministry's Intent

New Delhi: Amid reports of the Defence Ministry shifting its ‘Aero India’ show to Uttar Pradesh from Bengaluru — the city that has hosted the event for the past 22 years — Karnataka Deputy CM G Parameshwara asked minister Nirmala Sitharaman to clarify her stand on the same.

Parameshwara’s comments come even as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday appealed to Sitharaman to hold the significant defence show in Uttar Pradesh and that his government would provide all required facilities for the same.

“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 defense projects and flagship programs. I request @nsitharaman to clarify her stand on the issue," the Karnataka Deputy CM posted in a tweet.

Lobbying hard to host Aero India, the country's biennial air show and aviation exhibition, Yogi Adityanath said his government would provide all possible help to organise the event.

He said it would be beneficial from the point of view of defence production.

Speaking to CNN-News18, BJP MP Rajeev Chandrashekar said that other states "should also be given a chance".

"May be we should give other states a chance too. I would request the government to organise some other event that Bengaluru can host alternatively. Congress is raking up this issue but when Nirmala Sitharaman was here last week, she said that no decision has been taken yet," said Chandrashekar.

He added that the development might not go down too well with the BJP.

The Uttar Pradesh chief minister was speaking at an event on Saturday, where an announcement of a defence corridor encompassing the Aligarh, Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow, Jhansi and Chitrakoot corridor was made.

Defence Minister Sitharaman, her deputy in the ministry Subhash Bhamre, Uttar Pradesh Industries Minister Satish Mahanadi and senior officials of the defence ministry and Uttar Pradesh government were present at the event.

"I request the defence minister to hold the Aero India show in Uttar Pradesh. We will provide every type of facility. In this context, I request her to announce this at the earliest so that we can proceed with the preparations," Adityanath said.

Bengaluru has been the host city for the event since its inception in 1996. The last Aero India show was held in February last year.

Reports on Friday suggested that the event might take place in Uttar Pradesh's capital city of Lucknow in November-December this year.

The defence minister, however, made no announcements in this regard.

(With PTI inputs)