Bengaluru, Jun 23 (IANS): Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya on Thursday thanked the Central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ensuring that Bengaluru gets a US Consulate.
In the backdrop of Modi's visit to the US, a senior White House official on Thursday announced that the US will open two new consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad, while India will establish a mission in Seattle.
Surya, on his part, has been pushing for a US Consulate in Bengaluru during his engagements with the External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar as well as officials from the US embassy in India.
"_Thank PM @narendramodi Ji and EAM @DrSJaishankar for getting a US Consulate in Bengaluru. As India's fastest-growing city and IT powerhouse with thousands of international companies, it was a long pending ask. This will help lakhs of Kannadigas & our city_," the BJP MP tweeted.
On March 24 this year, Surya sought Jaishankar's support to push for a US Consulate in Bengaluru with the US Foreign Affairs Department.
Back then, Jaishankar had said: "Since you have put it so strongly and repeatedly, I assure you that the next time I meet Antony Blinken, I will hammer home that message with at least as much force as you have done (right now)."
Even back in November 2019, Surya had met Jaishankar with a written request for a US consulate in Bengaluru.
"There are around 750 multi-national companies situated in Bengaluru with about 370 of them headquartered in the US. Bengaluru and Karnataka together account for a large pool for students and businessmen travelling to the US."
Having a fully functioning US Consulate in Bengaluru rather than the existing virtual consulate would be convenient for at least half a million people of Karnataka and would also ease the burden on the consulates in Chennai and Hyderabad," Surya had written in a letter dated November 18, 2019.
Surya had also placed a request with the US Ambassador to India, Kenneth Juster, in March 2020.
With Thursday's announcement of a consulate in Bengaluru, Surya felt that the city of Bengaluru will benefit tremendously and ties between the two countries have received a boost.
"The US Consulate in Bengaluru, apart from making it convenient for lakhs of students from the city, will enhance commerce and cooperation between India and the US. I once again thank the Modi government for promoting the interests of Bengaluru and ensuring that a long-pending request is fulfilled," he said.