NCP pats Kiran Mazumdar for religious divide remark

The Nationalist Congress Party showered praise over Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw for requesting Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to resolve "growing religious divide" in the southern state saying that more corporates should come forward to voice their opinion like her. In a statement, Maharashtra NCP chief spokesperson Mahesh Tapase appealed to corporate leaders to make "a conscious choice of speaking truth" to strengthen democracy.

Tapase also urged leaders of all states to instill faith and confidence in the hearts and minds of those who have been "expelled" from earning their livelihoods only because they belong to a different faith, caste or community. He hailed the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra for upholding the tradition of inclusiveness that was set in from the days of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

The Biocon chief had tweeted on Wednesday, "Karnataka has always forged inclusive economic development and we must not allow such communal exclusion- If IT-BT became communal it would destroy our global leadership. @BSBommai please resolve this growing religious divide." Her tweet was in response to the incidents of denial of permission to non-Hindu traders and vendors to carry on business around temples during annual temple fairs and religious events in some parts of the state.

Tapase said on Friday, "Kiran Shaw has set an example in the corporate world by speaking her mind about economic inclusion. More corporates should voice their opinion like Kiran Majumdar Shaw," he said.