Sitharaman mulls shifting Aero India from Bengaluru

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday revealed that many Indian states had sought shifting of the Aero India extravaganza, which is being held in Bengaluru for the past 11 years.

“No announcement has been made on it,” Sitharaman told reporters, responding to queries on speculation that Aero India would be shifted to Lucknow.

“Many states are asking for the venue to be shifted,” she said. “It’s just like the Defence Expo that was held for ten years continuously in Delhi and then once in Goa and later in Chennai,” she said, hinting that the demand is under consideration.

Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, while addressing a joint press conference with the Defence Minister, requested Sitharaman to continue with Bengaluru as the venue.

“As she said, several states have requested the shifting. But we’re requesting her not to shift the venue. She’ll decide after consulting with her ministry. Let’s wait,” Kumaraswamy said.

LoC violations

Every attempt at cross-border infiltration would be thwarted, Sitharaman said. “I’m here as the Raksha Mantri to protect our borders and stop infiltration,” she added when asked about LoC violations in the wake of cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan set to take charge as Pakistan prime minister.