BENGALURU: The feud between Karnataka deputy CM DK Shivakumar and two of Bengaluru’s most prominent corporate captains — Biocon chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and former Infosys director TV Mohandas Pai — escalated Sunday over the city’s crumbling infrastructure.Mazumdar-Shaw hit back at Shivakumar’s remarks that those criticising govt’s handling of Bengaluru’s civic issues had a “personal agenda” and had remained silent during previous administrations.“Not true. Both TV Mohandas Pai and I have criticised deteriorating infrastructure in our city to previous BJP and JD(S) govts. Our agenda is to clean up and restore roads,” she wrote on X, tagging the deputy CM’s statement.Pai amplified her remarks, reposting several comments slamming the poor state of roads and public infrastructure.Unfazed, Shivakumar said industrialists who built their fortunes in Bengaluru were now turning against the city. “They are forgetting their humble beginnings and how the city helped them grow. We should not forget our roots,” read a statement from his office after his ‘Walk with Bengaluru’ event.He listed ongoing infrastructure projects — tunnel roads, elevated corridors, double-decker flyovers, and buffer roads — costing more than Rs 1 lakh crore, claiming they aim for “integrated development” of the city. “We have formed five corporations to take governance closer to people,” he added.Later in the day, Mazumdar-Shaw softened her tone and responded positively to the Ejipura flyover project update. “This is a positive development which will greatly relieve traffic congestion and has been 10 years in the making, which previous BJP and JD(S) govts did not prioritise. Putting this on a priority track is a good move by DK Shivakumar,” she posted on X.The public spat underscored growing frustration among Bengaluru’s business bosses and citizens over chronic traffic snarls, delayed civic projects, and governance gridlock in India’s technology capital.For his part, Pai had said the city’s infrastructure was “lagging 10-15 years behind its growth”. He stressed that citizens had the right to demand better infrastructure and criticise govt, saying “ministers are representatives, not ‘maliks’ who should fear free speech — they must listen”
