From left: T V Mohandas Pai, D K Shivakumar and T A Narayana Gowda. Composite of file photos from their X accounts.
Bengaluru: Former Infosys executive T V Mohandas Pai asked Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar to intervene in a row over Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) visits to Bengaluru IT firms, after KRV president T A Narayana Gowda likened him to Shakuni from the Mahabharata.
The exchange began on November 2, when Pai criticised the visits and said the state should not allow what he called vigilante groups to run it. KRV said it was seeking information from companies about job opportunities for Kannadigas.
In his November 3 remarks, Gowda accused Pai of acting against the interests of Kannadigas and compared him to Shakuni. In a post the next day, Gowda stood by the comparison and defended the campaign, saying KRV representatives were submitting letters to IT companies and that firms were accepting them.
Pai’s response came on the evening of November 3. Sharing the video of Gowda’s remarks, he addressed Shivakumar: “Please decide if you are ruling our state or these vigilantes are running the state.” His appeal followed his November 2 request that the government stop the visits.
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