Our Bureau
New Delhi
BJP MP Tejasvi Surya from Bengaluru and BJP’s Amritsar candidate Taranjit Singh Sandhu are promising to bring a US consulate to their respective cities – Bengaluru and Amritsar.
Taranjit Singh Sandhu, the former ambassador to US, filed his nomination papers for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Mr Sandhu, 61, was accompanied by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at a roadshow prior to filing his nomination papers.
Mr Sandhu has been instrumental in opening the Indian Consulate in Seattle, the sixth one after New York, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta and San Francisco. “I have certainly spoken to Ambassador Garcetti, and I know he will positively recommend that. I’ve also spoken to Dr Jaishankar. He’s also been positive about that. There are statistics which support that,” Mr Sandhu, said in an interview.
The former Ambassador to the US, Mr Sandhu has been instrumental in opening the Indian Consulate in Seattle, the sixth one after New York, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta and San Francisco.
“The demand for a US Consulate in Bengaluru has been long-standing, since early 2000s. Many residents of Bengaluru travel to Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata or Hyderabad, spending ₹ 30,000 to ₹ 60,000 and 2-3 days for VISA approvals. No such hassles for any Kannadiga going forward. It was among my top priorities that a city like Bengaluru should get a US Consulate, and am happy to have delivered on this promise within my first term,” Tejasvi Surya posted on social media.
Tejaswi Surya is the Member of Parliament in the 17th Lok Sabha from the Bharatiya Janata Party, representing the Bangalore South constituency. He is also the president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha since 26 September 2020.
“If we look at India-US relations, they are progressing at a fast pace. Our community is growing there. There is so much business today between the two nations. So I think more consulates will open here in future. And we will have to see who puts forward the case for Amritsar,” said S Jaishankar to a big round of applause.
