Communal exclusion will destroy India: Kiran Mazumdar Shaw warns

Neither Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai condemned the ongoing campaign of RSS backed Hindu organization nor he openly supports the campaign to ban Muslim traders. He has evaded the questions regarding ‘growing communal exclusion’ in the state.

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Mar 31, 2022 08:12
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Communal exclusion will destroy India: Kiran Mazumdar Shaw warns

Bengaluru: Amidst a campaign of pro-Hindu groups in Karnataka requesting people not to buy ‘Halal cut’ meat and ban Muslim traders from temple festivals, the Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar Shaw urged the Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to resolve the growing religious divide in the state.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw further warns that if the tech sector becomes communal it will destroy India’s global leadership.

Kiran Shaw is the first big corporate leader to publicly voice concern over what she calls "communal exclusion", days after the Karnataka government cited an old rule barring non-Hindus from doing business on temple premises.

 "Karnataka has always forged inclusive economic development and we must not allow such communal exclusion- If ITBT (IT and Biotech) became communal it would destroy our global leadership. BS Bommai, please resolve this growing religious divide," Ms Shaw tweeted.

However, the Chief Minister has not committal to ongoing campaign of Sri Rama Sene and Vishwa Hindu Parishat urging people not to buy Halal cut meat from Muslim traders and not allowing them to do business in the temple premises during temple fairs.

Neither Mr. Bommai condemned the ongoing campaign of RSS backed Hindu organization nor he openly supports the campaign to ban Muslim traders. He has evaded the questions regarding ‘growing communal exclusion’ in the state.

A user, responding to the appeal, wrote tagging both Ms Shaw and the Chief Minister: "He will increase this communal divide and Karnataka will fail in front of our eyes."

Ms Shaw responded: "Our CM is a very progressive leader. I am sure he will resolve this issue soon."

BJP leader Amit Malviya, who heads the BJP's IT cell, responded sharply to the comments, describing them as "personal, politically coloured opinion".

"It is unfortunate to see people like Kiran Shaw impose their personal, politically coloured opinion, and conflate it with India's leadership in the ITBT sector. Rahul Bajaj once said something similar for Gujarat, it is today a leading automobile manufacturing hub. Go figure...," Amit Malviya wrote.

"Good to see Kiran Shaw wake up to the religious divide in Karnataka. Did she speak up when a belligerent minority sought to prioritise Hijab over education or Congress framed rules excluding non-Hindus from Hindu institutions? She helped Congress draft their manifesto. Explains?" he tweeted.

The latest is over groups like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal demanding a ban on Muslim traders at temple complexes. The campaign has led to some temples blacklisting Muslim traders even though there is no ban.

The state government, which has largely avoided comment on the demand, told the assembly that restrictions on non-Hindu vendors operating on temple premises were based on a rule in 2002 under the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act, 1997.