Shivakumar urges industry leaders to stop ''hurting'' Bengaluru amid criticism over roads, traffic
Bengaluru (PTI): Faced with mounting criticism from industry leaders over Bengaluru’s infrastructure woes, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday urged them to stop "hurting" the city and the state that have contributed to their growth.
Shivakumar, who also holds the Bengaluru Development portfolio, appealed to industry leaders not to forget their "roots"— Bengaluru, Karnataka, and its people—and asked them to be patient, stressing that "there is a limitation for everything."
The state government has faced sustained criticism over the city’s poor roads and traffic congestion.
Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw recently reignited the debate by sharing on 'X' a visiting overseas business executive’s scathing remarks on Bengaluru’s infrastructure.
Quoting the visitor, Shaw wrote: "Why are the roads so bad and why is there so much garbage around? Doesn’t the Govt want to support investment? I have just come from China and can’t understand why India can’t get its act together, especially when the winds are favourable?"
She tagged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar, and IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge in her post.
Responding to questions on such remarks, Shivakumar said, "Making such posts is (like) killing themselves. They are hurting their own country and the state that helped them. Where were they 25 years ago? It is this Bengaluru that has contributed everything to them. If they want to hurt themselves, it’s left to them."
Speaking to reporters, he asserted that the government was doing its best to address the city’s infrastructure challenges.
Highlighting new initiatives, Shivakumar said that under the Greater Bengaluru Authority, the East Corporation alone would retain Rs 1,673 crore of its own revenues to directly improve infrastructure in 50 wards, particularly benefitting IT corridors.
He also said the government was formulating a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy. "Let them (industries) declare what they are giving, who is giving, and where that money is going. Let them come out with details on what they are doing," he said.
"I don’t want to question them, but they should have patience. If they want to tweet, blackmail, or threaten us, it’s left to them," he added, describing the Karnataka government as "progressive and positive."
Referring to PM Narendra Modi’s remarks calling Bengaluru a "global city", Shivakumar said, "They are working against the prime minister; they are working against the state."
In what appeared to be a veiled response to Shaw’s comparison with China, the Deputy CM said, "This is not China; there is a democratic setup here. China has communist rule — they can break any road and do whatever they want. In Karnataka and India, you cannot do that. Will they (industry leaders) allow their own properties to be demolished for road widening? No one will allow it."
"There is a limitation for everything. Let them be patient. They should remember how they have grown and where they came from. If you forget the root, you will not get the fruit. The root is Bengaluru, Karnataka, and its people," he said.
Declining to comment on Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh’s reported remarks taking a dig at Bengaluru’s infrastructure, Shivakumar said there was "no match" for Karnataka and its capital in terms of infrastructure, human resources, innovation, and startups.
"Twenty-five lakh engineers are working here, and two lakh foreigners are working here. We contribute 39–40 per cent of revenue to the central government," he said, adding that industry leaders across the world were in touch with the state government.
"Many companies that were earlier functioning from rented spaces now want to set up their own campuses in the city. That is the strength of Bengaluru. There is no match for Bengaluru in the entire country," he added.
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Lakhimpur Kheri violence case: SC expresses disappointment over non-production of witnesses in trial
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Friday expressed disappointment over the non-production of witnesses in the ongoing trial against Ashish Mishra, son of former Union minister Ajay Mishra, and others in the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence case.
A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said the status report filed before it by the Uttar Pradesh government has not assigned any reason whatsoever for the non-production of witnesses.
It noted that no witnesses have been examined in the trial for the last two months.
"We direct the presiding judge to take lawful measures to secure the presence of witnesses," the bench said.
It asked the trial judge to make an endeavour to conclude the trial in a time-bound manner, and also to file a status report before it.
The trials in two cases related to the incident are going on before a court in Uttar Pradesh.
The bench noted that in the first case, out of 131 witnesses to be examined, 44 have been examined, 15 have been discharged and 72 are still to be produced.
In the second FIR, out of 35 witnesses, 26 have been examined and nine were left, it said.
Senior advocate Siddharth Dave, appearing for Ashish Mishra, said that as per the latest status report filed by Uttar Pradesh, 44 witnesses have been examined so far in the first FIR.
"No witnesses have been examined in the last two months," Dave said.
He argued that the last status report filed by the state in March also said that 44 witnesses had been examined.
"What have you done from March till today?" the bench asked the counsel appearing for Uttar Pradesh.
The state's counsel said that 3-4 witnesses were summoned for the recording of their deposition during the trial.
The bench said at least 7-8 witnesses should be summoned instead of three or four for a day, so that even if some of them do not turn up, the trial court could proceed with the recording of statements of those appearing before it.
The top court also wondered how official witnesses can remain absent during the trial.
"We are disappointed to note that the so-called status report does not assign any reason whatsoever for non-production of witnesses...," the bench said.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the relatives of the farmers who were allegedly mowed down in the incident, said the apex court will have to do something regarding the manner in which the trial was going on.
The bench noted that besides the two FIRs, another FIR was registered in October last year concerning alleged witness intimidation.
It said that, as per the state's status report, the chargesheet was filed against the main accused in that case.
The bench noted that the status report reveals that, as far as Ashish Mishra is concerned, his alleged role in the third case is still being investigated.
The top court directed the investigating officer of the third case to conclude the pending probe and ensure that the appropriate report is filed before the concerned court within four weeks.
The bench posted the next hearing in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case for July.
On October 3, 2021, eight people, including four farmers, were killed in Tikunia in Lakhimpur Kheri district during a protest by farmers against Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya's visit to the area.
Four farmers were mowed down by a sports utility vehicle. A driver and two BJP workers were then allegedly lynched by angry farmers. A journalist also died in the violence.
In one of the cases, the trial court in December 2023 framed charges against Mishra and 12 others for alleged murder, criminal conspiracy and under other penal laws in the case of the farmers' deaths, paving the way for the trial.
