Bengaluru: Comments by Biocon founder-chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw on Karnataka’s now-stalled job quota bill have sparked controversy among a section of Kannadigas.
Unidentified persons sprayed black paint on at least two Biocon nameboards, an act captured in a viral video on the microblogging site 'X'.
The video, posted on July 20 by user @sgowda79, shows a man dressed in black defacing an installation bearing the Biocon name and logo. This installation, titled 'Applied DNA' by Indian artist Yusuf Arakkal, is located on MG Road near The Bible Society of India, Anil Kumble Circle.
The exact date when the video was shot is unknown. It surfaced after Kiran’s statements on July 17, in which she called for exempting highly skilled labour from Karnataka's job quota policy, which has now been put on hold.
In the video, a man can be heard saying, "Kannadigas are applying soot (masi balake) to Biocon firm’s name and expressing outrage against Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, who opposed the bill to provide job reservations for Kannadigas."
The black paint on the installation has since been cleaned.
Published 22 July 2024, 21:28 IST