Karnataka Industries Minister RV Deshpande on Friday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking him to grant Bengaluru the status of “second capital in India.”

In his letter to PM Modi, Minister Deshpande raised the need for a second capital in the country, and has listed a host of reasons advocating Bengaluru.

“India needs a second capital very urgently and Bengaluru is best place to fulfill that role. A country the size and scale of India cannot be managed from one location, especially when the government is gearing up for a paradigmatic and radical change in terms of depth of governance, structural reforms, national reconstruction and international partnerships,” he wrote.

The minister further wrote that Bengaluru is “a city situated in the southern region well away from natural calamities and extreme weather conditions. A city with a diverse population of professionals and industries spanning across various fields of business.”

“Bengaluru is probably the only city in the entire country where one can find as many software engineers as classical language scholars. Apart from Delhi, it has, probably internationally, the most diverse student population and nationally the most diverse population of professionals attesting to the cultural diversity of the city and its civic robustness,” he added.

The minister also argued that if a second capital is allowed, it will not only decentralise the country’s administration but also help recognise the people of South India by bringing the administrative and judicial system closer to them.

He also suggested a second seat of Supreme Court in Bengaluru, a second office of the Union Public Service Commission and conducting the Winter Session of the Parliament in Bengaluru.