K'taka BJP slams Cong ministers for 'insulting' Biocon chief, says global firms turning away from Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Oct 15 (IANS) The Karnataka unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday severely criticised ministers of the ruling Congress for taking jibes at Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw over her concerns regarding poor road infrastructure and garbage management in Bengaluru, saying that insulting industry leaders amounts to insulting the state.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday in Chitradurga, BJP state president B.Y. Vijayendra said, “In Bengaluru, the government is facing severe backlash from the public over poor infrastructure. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is a matter of pride for us, yet they are making statements against her. When former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa was in power, Infosys ex-CFO Mohandas Pai had criticised the BJP-led government. However, Yediyurappa immediately invited him for a discussion, offered him tea, and engaged in talks to find solutions for the issues in Bengaluru.”

He remarked that whether it was Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Mohandas Pai, or any other industry leader offering suggestions, they should be received in a positive spirit, adding that insulting them would be tantamount to insulting the state.

In a swipe at the Congress-led state government, Vijayendra referred to Google’s plan to set up an AI hub in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, and criticised the government for failing to attract major companies to Karnataka.

He stated that a major investment worth Rs 1.3 lakh crore by global tech giant Google -- which was expected to create nearly 30,000 jobs in the state -- has instead gone to Andhra Pradesh.

In a post on X, the BJP MLA said, "The international stature and appeal that Bengaluru once enjoyed is steadily declining under the administration of the Karnataka government. The mountain of employment opportunities for millions of skilled yet unemployed youth is gradually melting away, creating an atmosphere of anxiety among the younger population here.”

In a sharp attack, Vijayendra said that the state capital, already notorious for incidents of violence in several areas, is now witnessing a situation where “global companies are turning away from Bengaluru.”

“Bengaluru, once a magnet for global talent, has now been branded as ‘Gundigala Bengaluru’ (pothole-ridden Bengaluru) due to the government’s inefficiency and the lack of effective leadership from deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar. As a result, thousands of jobs that rightfully belonged to Kannadigas are being lost to the neighbouring state,” Vijayendra remarked.

He further alleged that the Congress government, having completely neglected development, has failed even to retain sectors requiring minimal capital investment. Its inability to provide basic infrastructure, he said, marks a serious setback for Karnataka.

The controversy gained momentum after a viral post by Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, who criticised Bengaluru’s poor road conditions and garbage management. Her remarks have once again reignited the debate over the Congress-led government’s handling of the city’s infrastructure.

In response, Shivakumar, IT and BT Minister Priyank Kharge, Large and Medium Industries Minister M.B. Patil, and Labour Minister Santhosh Lad claimed that the government was addressing the issue. However, they also took jibes at Mazumdar-Shaw, challenging her to raise her voice against the Union government.

Priyank Kharge added that, in states like Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, anyone criticising the government would be jailed and branded “anti-state.”

--IANS

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