‘India Inc Not Anti-National’: Kiran Mazumdar Shaw Supports Bajaj

Shaw said the govt must be open to suggestions instead of listening to only those it believes are its supporters.

Managing Director and Chairman of Bicon India Ltd Kiran Mazumdar Shaw. 

(Photo: Reuters) 

Biocon Chairperson and Managing Director Kiran Mazumdar Shaw on Monday, 2 December, said India Inc is “neither anti-national nor anti-government,” continuing her support for veteran industrialist Rahul Bajaj who stated that India Inc was afraid of criticising the Narendra Modi government, PTI reported.

Shaw, who had earlier said the government treated India Inc as “pariahs” and doesn't want to hear any criticism of the economy, was responding to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharman’s remarks that spreading one's own impression "can hurt national interest" in relation to the statement made by Bajaj on Saturday.

Industrialist and chairperson of the Bajaj Group, Rahul Bajaj, on Saturday, 30 November, said that people had the freedom to critique the UPA government but the current regime has created an environment of fear and uncertainty.

Posing a question to a panel comprising Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Rail Minister Piyush Goyal at Economic Times Awards function in Mumbai, Bajaj had asked the ministers why people are not allowed to question the government.

‘Govt Must Be Open to Suggestions’

The Biocon chairperson, in an interview with NDTV, said the government must be open to suggestions instead of listening to only those it believes are its supporters.

Shaw pointed that the government was dealing with corporate India “at arm’s length” and it should listen to “multiple voices and multiple quarters to look at what is possible” at a time when there is a slowdown in the economy.

Shaw said Bajaj was a strong voice of corporate India and the India Inc was "relieved" he questioned to the government. "I don't think anyone should attack Mr Bajaj. We should get on with reviving the economy," Shaw told NDTV.

Responding to Bajaj, Shah had said that there is no need for any individual to be scared.

Bajaj had further questioned the Home Minister about Bhopal MP Pragya Thakur’s Godse remark, asking, “If there was a doubt that Godse was a terrorist”. Shah responded to this by saying that the party condemns Thakur’s statement.

Shaw said that it was unfortunate that the home minister's positive response was followed by comments from various BJP leaders "which are not correct," according to NDTV.

(With inputs from PTI and NDTV.)