The dismayed party workers as well as pro-Kannada activists accused Mohandas Pai of being anti-Kannada and abusive towards the state government and its policies. Pai’s history of name calling Congress leadership was highlighted as well.
Published Sep 23, 2024 | 9:04 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 23, 2024 | 10:32 PM
Congress workers and pro-kannada groups rally against Mohandas Pai's role in KHIR city project
While the countdown has begun for the launch of the Karnataka government’s ambitious KHIR (Knowledge-Health-Innovation-Research) City Project, the Congress government is facing severe backlash, from its own cadre, over the inclusion of Businessman Mohandas Pai as one of the committee members for the project.
In his post on X, Minister for Commerce and Industries, Infrastructure MB Patil has announced that CM Siddaramaiah will launch the KHIR city project at Vidhana Soudha on 26 September.
#KHIRCity ಯೋಜನೆಗೆ ಸೆ. 26ರಂದು ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿಗಳಿಂದ ಚಾಲನೆ#ನಮ್ಮಸರಕಾರ ದ ಮಹತ್ವಾಕಾಂಕ್ಷಿ ಯೋಜನೆಯಾದ ಕೆಎಚ್ಐಆರ್ (ನಾಲೆಡ್ಜ್-ಹೆಲ್ತ್-ಇನ್ನೋವೇಶನ್-ರೀಸರ್ಚ್) ಸಿಟಿಯ ಮೊದಲ ಹಂತಕ್ಕೆ ಮಾನ್ಯ ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿಗಳಾದ ಶ್ರೀ @siddaramaiah ಅವರು ಸೆ.26ರಂದು ವಿಧಾನಸೌಧದ ಬ್ಯಾಂಕ್ವೆಟ್ ಹಾಲ್ ನಲ್ಲಿ ಚಾಲನೆ ನೀಡಲಿದ್ದಾರೆ.
KHIRCity… pic.twitter.com/3HC6RlYRuy
— M B Patil (@MBPatil) September 22, 2024
The state government’s ambitious project is expected to come up in around 2,000 acres between Doddaballapur and Dobaspet near Bengaluru. The government has planned to implement it in a phased manner, with expected investments of about Rs 40,000 crore.
In a bid to ensure the proper implementation of the KHIR city project, the state government has set-up a committee of experts, mainly business tycoons of Karnataka.
Surgeon Dr Devi Shetty, Biocon Limited’s Executive Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Businessman Prashant Prakash, Strategist Thomas Osha, Ranch Kimball, and Businessman Mohandas Pai have been named as the members of the expert committee, which will be looking after the proper implementation of the project.
However, the government’s decision to include Mohandas Pai has not been received well. Not just Congress workers but pro-Kannada activists too are also vehemently opposing his inclusion in the expert committee.
Meanwhile, the Congress party workers are said to have escalated the matter before Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, demanding for the omission of Mohandas Pai, who is also chairman of Manipal Group of Education, from the committee.
A world-class development project – KHIR City, is set to be established near Bengaluru, spanning an expansive 2,000 acres between Doddaballapur and Dobaspet, which is barely 50kms from the Kempegowda International Airport.
The Siddaramaiah-led-Karnataka government had announced the KHIR city project in its budget for the fiscal year 2024-25.
According to a press release from the Department of Commerce and Industries, Infrastructure, “The ambitious project will cover 2,000 acres, with an investment of ₹40,000 crore aimed at creating around 1 lakh jobs, which includes direct and indirect employment..”
“The first phase of the project will cover 500 acres. KHIR City will focus on advanced sectors such as future transportation systems, semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, aerospace, defence, and space technology.”
Minister MB Patil said, “KHIR City is expected to play a significant role in driving the overall development of Karnataka, contributing to the state’s technological and industrial growth in the coming years.”
Despite the fanfare surrounding the state government’s much-anticipated KHIR city project, the decision has stirred discontent in some quarters as the Congress supporters and pro-Kannada groups, especially across social media platforms, have strongly criticised the selection of businessman Mohandas Pai as a member of the expert committee.
Following the announcement by Minister for Commerce and Industries, Infrastructure MB Patil, regarding the KHIR city project and its committee members on social media, his account was quickly flooded with messages and requests calling for the exclusion of Pai from the expert committee.
The resentment was not just by the pro-Kannada outfits but also – surprisingly – the ruling party workers as well. The dismayed netizens and party workers accused Pai of being anti-Kannada, abusive towards the state government and its policies and peddling hate and misinformation.
In his post on X, Congress’ Kashyap Nandan said: “As a Congress worker, I am saying please drop Pai from the committee. WE have better people, who can do wonders.”
As a Congress worker I am saying pls drop Pai from the committee we have better people who can do wonders. Pai abuses our leaders and Govt & shared fake news a dozen times. Humble request. https://t.co/WkYx4Xw2OB
— kashyap Nandan (@kashyapnandan_) September 23, 2024
“Pai abuses our (Congress) leaders and the government. He shared fake news a dozen times,” Nandan said, urging the government to reconsider its decision on inclusion of Pai in the expert committee.
On the condition of anonymity, a Congress party worker told South First: “The government should not have included Mohandas Pai in the committee. He most of the times takes stand against the sentiments of Kannadigas. He even blames and abuses the state government over several decisions.”
“When the state government introduced a bill on the reservation of 50 percent of management jobs and 75 percent of non-management jobs for Kannadigas in the industries, he voiced against it,” the party worker said.
“In another instance, while giving an interview to the media, he had not only slammed the Congress’ manifesto but also termed that it echoes ‘Maoist ideology’. There are better renowned personalities than him. The government must immediately omit him from the committee in order to protect the interest of Kannadigas,” the party worker added that they will appear before the party high command on the matter.
In his post on X, Sagar Ravinath said: “Exclude Mohan Das Pai and Kiran Mazumdar Shaw from the committee. These are the ones who spoke against the job reservation for Kannadigas.”
ಕನ್ನಡಿಗರ ಉದ್ಯೋಗ ಮೀಸಲಾತಿ ವಿರುದ್ಧ ಮಾತನಾಡಿದ್ದ @TVMohandasPai @kiranshaw ಅವರನ್ನ ಇ ಸಮಿತಿಯಿಂದ ಹೊರಗಿಡಿ. ಇವರುಗಳು ಕನ್ನಡಿಗರಿಗೆ ಮಾಡುವ ಉಪಕಾರಗಿಂತ, ವಲಸಿಗರಿಗೆ ಕೊಡುವ ಸಹಕಾರವೇ ಹೆಚ್ಚು! ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ ಜನಲಕ್ಷಣ ಕಾಪಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕಾದ ಕರ್ತವ್ಯ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ಸರ್ಕಾರದ್ದು ಎಂಬುದು ನೆನಪಿರಲಿ. ಕನ್ನಡಿಗರಿಗೆ ಸಿಂಹಪಾಲು ಉದ್ಯೋಗ ಸಿಗಬೇಕು.
— ಕನ್ನಡಿಗ ಸಾಗರ್ ರವಿನಾಥ್ l Sagar Ravinath (@Sagar_Ravinath) September 23, 2024
“They are more helpful to the immigrants than they are to the Kannadigas…. Kannadigas should get the lion’s share in jobs,” Ravinath said, demanding the expulsion of Pai and Shaw from the KHIR City project committee.
“We will oppose the inclusion of Pai in the expert panel. He has always voiced against the sentiments of Karnataka. We have raised this issue before the Deputy CM DK Shivakumar. We are confident that the government will reconsider its decision for the welfare of the people of the state,” the Congress party worker, who wished to be unnamed, told South First.
While opposing Pai’s inclusion in the expert committee, the grand-old-party workers pointed out the instances where Pai is strongly condemning the Congress government’s policies and schemes including guarantee schemes.
While replying to a media’s post, where Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge was announcing guarantee schemes for the poll-bound Haryana, in his post on X, Mohandas Pai criticised the Congress, pointing at Karnataka.
Who will pay for this? @kharge or @INCIndia @Jairam_Ramesh Karnataka economy is ruined by freebies. Infra is breaking down, Bengaluru roads are in bad state. Do our youth have a future ? State is suffering badly. Corruption is at an all time high. https://t.co/KfODbiEKic
— Mohandas Pai (@TVMohandasPai) September 18, 2024
“Who will pay for this? @Kharge or @INCIndia @Jairam_Ramesh Karnataka economy is ruined by freebies. Infra is breaking down, Bengaluru roads are in bad condition. Do our youth have a future? State is suffering badly. Corruption is at an all time high?” Pai lashed out at Congress over guarantee schemes.
When the Siddaramaiah government rolled out a bill reserving 50 percent of management jobs and 75 percent of non-management jobs in the private industries, Pai strongly opposed the government’s decision, which had reiterated that the bill aims to work in the interest of Kannadigas.
This bill should be junked. It is discriminatory, regressive and against the constitution @Jairam_Ramesh is govt to certify who we are? This is a fascist bill as in Animal Farm, unbelievable that @INCIndia can come up with a bill like this- a govt officer will sit on recruitment… https://t.co/GiWq42ArEu
— Mohandas Pai (@TVMohandasPai) July 17, 2024
In his post on X, Pai criticised: “This bill should be junked. It is discriminatory, regressive and against the constitution @Jairam_Ramesh is the government to certify who we are?”
“This is a fascist bill as in Animal Farm, unbelievable that @INCIndia can come up with a bill like this. A government officer will sit on recruitment committees of the private sector? People have to take a language test?” Pai said. He faced severe criticism from Kannadigas over his post opposing the aforementioned bill that ensured jobs for the locals.
Pai had also objected when the Karnataka government expressed that it will be directing all the companies to put up a dashboard displaying the number of Kannadigas working in their respective firms. He had demanded the government to reconsider its decision on the matter.
Likewise, Pai reportedly abused Congress leaders, from Congress’ Rajya Sabha member Jairam Ramesh to MP Shashi Tharoor over various issues. He raised voice against the several pro-Kannada decisions initiated by the state government.
When South First contacted Minister MB Patil, and Minister for IT and BT Priyank Kharge, there was no response. “The ministers concerned will be able to answer on the matter,” Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, who is one of the spokespersons of Karnataka government, told South First.
(Edited by Ananya Rao)
