BJP MP demands land for US consulate in Bengaluru
After the announcement of plans to open a new US consulate in Bengaluru, BJP MP Tejasv Surya on Friday asked the Karnataka government to provide support and land for the consulate
After a senior White House official’s announcement to open a new consulate of the United States in Bengaluru on Thursday, Tejasvi Surya, Bengaluru South MP on Friday asked the chief minister Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka government to provide support and land for the consulate while claiming that three BJP MPs continuously demanded a consulate in the city. The MP further said that the consulate in the city could help at least four to five lakh people of Karnataka annually in getting US visa-related work done.
Speaking to the reporters on Friday, Tejasvi said: “The people of Bengaluru had to go to Chennai, Hyderabad or New Delhi to get any US visa-related works. It used to cost them anywhere between ₹25, 000 to ₹30, 000. Even after having the largest number of students and techies who commute to the United States, Bengaluru did not have a consulate,” he said.
“We are delighted about the Whitehouse announcement and I thank PM Narendra Modi for making it possible. The US consulate in Bengaluru will help four to five lakh people in Karnataka every year to get their visa stampings done, without having to travel outside the state,” he added.
He also appealed to the current government to cooperate with US officials in acquiring land for the US consulate in Bengaluru. “During the previous BJP government, then CM Yediyurappa was fully committed to acquiring land for the consulate. Since it is now announced, the request of the current Congress government to fully cooperate with US government in all consulate-related works,” he added.
Surya said that in 2000, he had met Union minister S Jaishankar and stated the demand. “He had said that for a consulate to open in India, we had to open one in US. He promised that since there was a plan to open a consulate in Seattle and a consulate would be opened in Bengaluru,” Surya claimed.
A senior Congress leader however rubbished the claim saying that the BJP is taking credit for the development that the city saw due to the hard work of its people. “The reason the consulate is opened here is that there is an increasing demand for visas from Bengaluru and this has been a demand for several years considering the boom in the IT industry in the city. The US has recognised this demand. We are happy about this decision but the BJP should refrain from this credit politics,” said the leader who didn’t want to be named.
A senior White House official on Thursday said The US will open two new consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad while India will establish a mission in Seattle to boost people-to-people relationships
The official said the US issued a record 125,000 visas to Indian students last year. Indian students are set to become the largest foreign student community in the United States with a 20 per cent increase last year alone, the senior administration official said.
“The United States intends to open new consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. India is likewise welcoming the 2023 opening of its consulate in Seattle and look forward to also announcing a new consulate in the United States,” the official said.
The US Department of State is going to launch a pilot to adjudicate domestic renewals of certain petition-based temporary work visas later this year, including for Indian nationals with the intent to implement this for an expanded pool, the official said.
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