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Biocon chief meets Siddaramaiah, DKS after spat over infra
Biocon's Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw met Karnataka leaders to discuss Bengaluru's infrastructure issues after her recent criticism sparked political tension.
Biocon chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw met chief minister Siddaramaiah and deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar at their respective residences on Tuesday, officials said, barely a week after her sharp public exchange with senior state ministers over Bengaluru’s deteriorating infrastructure.
Shaw met Shivakumar at his Sadashivanagar home first, said officials aware of the matter. The conversation covered familiar ground— roads, waste management and broader challenges of urban governance in the capital, they added. She later met chief minister Siddaramaiah, in the presence of legislative council chairman Basavaraj Horatti.
After the meeting, in a post on X, Shivakumar wrote: ““It was a pleasure to meet @kiranshaw, entrepreneur and Founder of Biocon, at my residence today. We had an engaging discussion on Bengaluru’s growth, innovation, and the path ahead for Karnataka’s growth story.”
Over the past few weeks, Shaw has used social media to voice frustration about the capital’s worsening civic state, particularly potholes and waste accumulation.
The remarks triggered a cascade of responses from ministers, including IT-BT minister Priyank Kharge and Industries minister M.B. Patil, both of whom said such criticism overlooked the government’s ongoing efforts. Shivakumar’s initial reaction was more restrained; he urged Shaw and others in the industry to “build the city together instead of tearing it down.”
But the exchange soon turned personal and political. Congress leaders accused Shaw of selective outrage, questioning her silence on issues like the Goods and Services Tax (GST). Shivakumar, visibly irritated by the online criticism, later accused her of painting the state and country in a poor light. “Where was she for the last 25 years?” he asked. “Bengaluru has made the highest contribution to her growth. Those who criticise must remember how much land the government has given them.”
Shaw responded that successive governments had failed to address the city’s long-standing civic problems, and urged the present administration to act decisively to “fix decades of deterioration.”
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