Tue Sep 23 12:04:03 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary of the provided content, followed by a news article based on the deputy minister’s comments.

**Summary:**

The provided text is a snapshot of content from *The Hindu* newspaper, dated September 23, 2025. It highlights various sections covering world affairs from an Indian perspective, cinema news, technology, science, data analysis, health, and book reviews. The main news piece is about Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar addressing concerns about potholes in Bengaluru. He downplays the issue, arguing that potholes are a nationwide problem and that the situation in Karnataka is being exaggerated. He blames the previous BJP government for neglecting road maintenance and accuses them of raising the issue for political gain ahead of elections. His comments come after criticism from business leaders over poor infrastructure, prompting a logistics firm’s relocation plans.

**News Article:**

**Karnataka Deputy CM Dismisses Pothole Concerns, Blames Previous Government**

**Bengaluru, September 23, 2025** – Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar today addressed mounting concerns over the state of Bengaluru’s roads, dismissing criticism as an exaggeration and shifting blame to the previous BJP administration. Speaking to reporters at his residence, Shivakumar stated that potholes are a nationwide issue, even citing their existence on roads leading to the Prime Minister’s residence in Delhi.

“The media should review and report on how many potholes exist on Delhi’s roads, including the road to the PM’s residence,” Shivakumar said. “Potholes are a problem across the country. Only Karnataka’s situation is being blown out of proportion.”

His comments come in the wake of increasing pressure from the business community, with prominent figures like former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai and Biocon Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw voicing their concerns over the city’s deteriorating infrastructure. The situation escalated recently when logistics firm BlackBuck announced plans to relocate from the Outer Ring Road (ORR) area, citing poor road conditions as a primary factor.

While acknowledging the problem, Shivakumar assured that the government is taking action, claiming that approximately 1,000 potholes are being filled daily across the state’s five corporations. He then accused the BJP government of failing to maintain roads during their tenure, stating, “We wouldn’t have reached this stage if the roads were properly maintained during the BJP’s tenure. They did nothing to fix the potholes, but now they are raising the issue with elections approaching.”

Shivakumar has previously stated that the government remains unfazed by “threats and blackmail” and maintains that Bengaluru remains a city of opportunity for businesses. The debate highlights the ongoing tension between infrastructure development and economic growth in one of India’s major tech hubs.

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