Banning Muslim traders and religious divide will destroy India's IT leadership: Biocon chief

New Delhi: Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, executive chairperson of Biocon Ltd, on Wednesday became India's first corporate voice against ban on Muslim traders from temple festivals in Karnataka.

Biocon chief would not mince words warning that the situation could put at stake India's "global leadership" in tech and biotech, according to The Indian Express.

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw urged Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to resolve the "growing religious divide" in the state.

Taking to Twitter, the head of the Asia's leading biopharmaceuticals enterprise said that Karnataka always forged inclusive economic development.

Forecasting a worst case scenario, she said if IT/BT were to become communal, it would destroy India's global leadership, and added that such communal exclusion must not be allowed.

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw was responding to a report in The Indian Express on Wednesday regarding the ban on Muslim traders in Karnataka.

After reading the report "Unease grows, Karnataka temple committees, traders admit pressure", she urged the Chief Minster to "resolve" the situation in the state as well as calling him ' very progressive leader".

Already tensed following the hijab row, Karnataka witnessed in the last many weeks attempts to keep Muslim vendors from temple festivals.

Many temple authorities reportedly admitted pressure from right wing forces.

A lot of them gave in to the widespread call to exclude Muslim vendors; banners were put up at least in some places calling for the ban.

Several temple committees organising the festivals have expressed their dismay over the curbs and say these hit at longstanding social relations, The Indian Express reported.

The report pointed out the exemplary voice of the authorities of the Durgaparameshwari temple in turning down the VHP's demand. The temple is said to have been built by a Muslim merchant, report said.