Harsh Goenka sides with Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, slams politicians over Bengaluru’s crumbling roads

Harsh Goenka criticizes the political response, emphasizing the need for accountability over personal attacks on residents voicing concerns.

Bengaluru entrepreneur Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw found herself in the middle of a political storm this week after raising concerns over the city’s deteriorating infrastructure.

Business magnate Harsh Goenka weighed in with a critique of the political handling of public feedback.

Her post, aimed at highlighting poor road conditions and civic issues, triggered a sharp response from Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who accused her of having a “personal agenda” and questioned why she had not spoken out during the previous BJP-led government.

Responding to Shivakumar’s remarks, Kiran clarified that her criticism is consistent across administrations. “Not true. Both @TVMohandasPai and I have criticised deteriorating infrastructure in our city to previous BJP & JDS governments. Our agenda is clear, clean up and restore roads,” she tweeted.

The exchange quickly drew the attention of RPG Group Chairman Harsh Goenka, who weighed in with a critique of the political handling of public feedback. “It’s unfortunate how thin-skinned our politicians are. When @kiranshaw spoke up about Bengaluru’s crumbling infrastructure, instead of fixing it, they turned it into politics. Now they’ll pressurize her to post ‘positive tweets.’ So typical, attack the critic, not the problem,” he tweeted.

The incident comes against a backdrop of growing public frustration over Bengaluru’s roads, which citizens have repeatedly called “98% pothole, 2% road” in viral posts.

The Ejipura Flyover, stalled for years and recently revived, and flooding in Koramangala, Ashwini Layout, and other areas have only heightened awareness and online debate. Residents and netizens alike have been demanding accountability from civic agencies and politicians, often highlighting delayed projects, illegal encroachments, and poor last-mile connectivity.

This row underscores the sensitivity around civic criticism in the city. While social media continues to amplify residents’ voices on infrastructure failures, the exchange between Mazumdar-Shaw, Shivakumar, and Goenka reflects a larger tension between civic accountability and political defensiveness.