They are forgetting their humble beginnings: DK Shivakumar hits back at Shaw-Mazumdar over Bengaluru infra

The feud between Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and two of Bengaluru’s leading corporate figures — Biocon chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and former Infosys director T V Mohandas Pai — intensified on Sunday over the city’s deteriorating infrastructure. Mazumdar-Shaw responded sharply to Shivakumar’s comments that those criticising the government’s management of Bengaluru’s civic issues had a “personal agenda” and had stayed silent during earlier 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.

What did Shivakumar say?

“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.