BJP Targets Siddaramaiah With “Begging Bowl” Remark After Wipro Refuses Road Proposal

BJP Targets Karnataka Govt With “Begging Bowl” Jibe After Wipro Refuses Road Request.

The BJP has slammed the Congress government in Karnataka after Wipro chairman Azim Premji declined a request to allow public vehicles to pass through the company’s Sarjapur campus to ease Bengaluru’s traffic congestion.

Leader of Opposition Chaluvadi Narayanaswamy accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar of going around with a “begging bowl”. “They need alms to cover potholes. Instead of cooperating with citizens, they are troubling them,” he said.

Premji, in a letter to Siddaramaiah, reaffirmed Wipro’s commitment to supporting government efforts on mobility challenges but clarified that the Sarjapur campus is a private SEZ property, bound by strict access control and legal restrictions. He said opening it to outside traffic was neither permissible nor a sustainable solution.

The BJP claimed the request reflected an “empty treasury” and praised Premji for refusing. “We should thank Wipro. They have contributed thousands of crores to feed schoolchildren. If the government handled it, how much money would they have stolen?” Mr Narayanaswamy alleged.

Premji also urged the government to adopt long-term, expert-led and scientific solutions for reducing congestion on the Outer Ring Road, stressing the need for comprehensive planning over quick fixes.