Biocon CEO Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw has called on Karnataka’s Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to heal the “growing religious divide” in the state. She warned that allowing any “communal exclusion” would destroy the state’s position in global leadership in the technology and biotech sector.
Mazumdar-Shaw published a media report on Muslim shopkeepers being excluded from temple fairs and tweeted: “Karnataka has always promoted inclusive economic development and we must not allow such communal exclusion. If IT/BT became collaborative it would destroy our global leadership. Please resolve this growing religious divide.”
She tagged Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai in the tweet.
According to an industry observer, the growing religious divide could slow the pace of economic growth in Karnataka, especially at a time when the state has set an ambitious goal to bring its key businesses, including the digital economy and bioeconomy, to the next stage of growth and expects tangible returns by 2025.
In response to the tweet, Mr. Bommai said that Karnataka is known for peace and progress and everyone should work to preserve it. “It’s possible to sit together and resolve differences,” he said.
Meanwhile, Amit Malavia, head of the BJP IT cell, said in a counter-tweet: “It is unfortunate that people like Kiran Shaw are imposing their personal, politically tinged opinions and mixing them up with India’s leadership in the ITBT sector. Rahul Bajaj once said something similar for Gujarat, which is now a leading automobile manufacturing center. Imagine that…”
