Political slugfest erupts over Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw’s criticism of Bengaluru’s infrastructure

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar

Biocon chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw’s comments on Bengaluru’s poor infrastructure has triggered a political backlash, with Karnataka ministers closing ranks against her criticism and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) using the opportunity to target the Congress government.

After Shaw’s post on Wednesday asking ministers to hold GBA accountable for “shoddy and slow” work, deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, who had earlier taken a conciliatory tone, lashed out over her remarks.

“She is tarnishing the image of the State and the country by such social media posts. Where was she for the last 25 years? Bengaluru has made the highest contribution to her growth. Those who criticise must remember how much of land the government has given to them to establish their business in Bengaluru,” Shivakumar said.

“If they want to threaten us with their tweets, it is up to them. They are working against the city and the state. We are not China to take up developmental works without worrying about opposition,” Shivakumar hit back, reacting to Shaw’s tweet comparing the city’s infrastructure with that of China.

In response to labour minister Santosh Lad’s questions whether she will post against the union government too on issues like GST – just the way she highlighted the potholes issue in Bengaluru – Shaw said that ministers must hold GBA responsible for shoddy and slow work.

“We are in this dire situation because of past Govts failure to act in time. This Government has the opportunity to change this n act fast to fix these decades of deteriorating infrastructure n garbage management (sic),” she wrote on X.

What triggered the controversy?

The exchange began after Shaw criticised the poor state of infrastructure in Bengaluru on her X handle.

“I had an overseas business visitor to Biocon Park who said ‘Why are the roads so bad and why is there so much garbage around? Doesn’t the Govt want to support investment? I have just come from China and can’t understand why India can’t get its act together especially when the winds are favourable?’” she wrote.

BJP leaders join

Soon after her comments, BJP leaders joined the fray.

Tejaswi Surya, MP for Bengaluru South Lok Sabha Constituency, took to X and wrote, “What an absolute shame that multiple Ministers of Karnataka Government are busy attacking a concerned Bengalurean instead of doing their job well.”

“Instead of fixing fundamental problems, Government choosing to attack an achiever like Mazumdar-Shaw shows that it still lacks focus. It must focus on the message, instead of targeting the messenger,” he added.

CN Manjunath, MP for Bengaluru Rural, also supported Shaw. “Recent criticism on her views about Bengaluru’s infrastructure is not justifiable, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw has just echoed the views of a Business Visitor to Biocon from China, I feel the GOK must take this as constructive suggestion and act accordingly in improving infrastructure facilities in Bengaluru and involving all the stakeholders in making it globally competitive.”