Bengaluru, May 27 : Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said on Tuesday that the state government would protect state's assets at any cost in connection with relocating of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the premier defence manufacturing industry run by the Centre and based in Bengaluru, to Andhra Pradesh.

Speaking to reporters at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee office, Shivakumar said, "HAL has not been given by any BJP government. Former Prime Minister late Jawaharlal Nehru set it up in Bengaluru due to its technical manpower."

He also added, "I am not going to interfere in Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu's political request to the Centre. We have also given sufficient land to HAL and we have also provided land to set up a helicopter unit in Tumakuru for the HAL. They are free to set up anything new in Andhra Pradesh, we are not going to object to it. But our (Congress) government will do whatever it takes to protect our state's assets."

"What are our MPs representing Karnataka doing? The Union Ministers have not spoken a word about moving HAL to Andhra Pradesh. I would expect them to speak up for the state," Shivakumar urged the Central government.

Sharan Prakash Patil, Minister for Medical Education, Skill Development, Livelihood, and District In-charge Minister for Raichur, said, "Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is the pride of our state. We will not accept any proposal to relocate it to Andhra Pradesh."

"This institution was not established by the BJP. We have no interest in the request made by Andhra Pradesh's Chandrababu Naidu. HAL belongs to us -- it is our pride. If there is any move to shift it to another state, it is the responsibility of BJP MPs to stop it. If they instead go and fold their hands before the BJP High Command, it will amount to betraying our state," Minister Patil added.

The reports are emerging suggesting that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, during a recent NITI Aayog meeting, had requested the relocation of the HAL facility from Bengaluru to his state.

Earlier, Karnataka Large and Medium Industries Minister M.B. Patil said there is nothing wrong in setting up a HAL unit in Andhra Pradesh, but the relocation of the existing HAL facility is not acceptable.

Minister Patil said that he would soon visit Delhi and meet Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to urge the Centre to grant the defence corridor to Karnataka, which the state rightfully deserves.

/IANS