‘Filthy…’: Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw demands action against spitting, gutka stains in Bengaluru

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw criticized Bengaluru's public spitting issue, sharing a video of stained pavements near a metro station.

Published on: Nov 7, 2025, 19:43:04 IST

By Yamini C S

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Biocon Executive Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw has once again taken aim at Bengaluru’s civic hygiene issues, this time calling out the widespread habit of spitting in public. Sharing a video on X that showed tobacco-stained pavements outside Malleshwaram Metro Station, Mazumdar-Shaw expressed her frustration at the city’s disregard for cleanliness.

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw's post has ignited debate on cleanliness and responsibility among Bengaluru's citizens and authorities. (X/@kiranshaw)

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“Filthy habits that must be called out and hefty fines imposed,” she posted, condemning the unsanitary sight captured in the video. The clip, originally shared with the caption “Look at the scene outside malleshwara metro station…done by Karnataka auto Walas standing outside metro,” appeared to highlight repeated instances of spitting near the busy metro entrance.

Mazumdar-Shaw has been a consistent voice for civic improvement in Bengaluru, previously speaking out about potholes, poor infrastructure, and the city’s waning sense of accountability. Her post has since sparked widespread debate online, with citizens echoing her concerns and venting their frustration about the city’s deteriorating civic sense.

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“This isn’t about one metro station, it’s about habits. There are so many Auto Sanghas, yet no effort to educate members about civic hygiene. I’ve seen this countless times, not just near metro stations but across roads,” wrote one user.

Another user remarked, “We should start to charge pan and Gutka companies for this . They earn and tax payers pay to clean!”

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“Mostly due to continuous rains we are not able to see gutka stains. Now rain gave little gap. I am able to see gutka stains everywhere including metro station elevators, FOB, roads, footpaths etc. Its high time to ban the sale of gutka. Red rangolis are disgusting on roads,” another comment stated.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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