'Brand Bengaluru broken?': DK Shivakumar draws flak after viral video shows commuters wading through dirt track

The anger was directed at the Deputy CM and the GBA, with users calling the situation a “real-life simulation” of bad governance.

Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar’s ambitious “Brand Bengaluru” campaign is under fire after a viral video showed commuters off-roading through knee-deep slush on Panathur Road, one of the city’s busiest stretches connecting the tech corridor.

The clip, widely shared across social media, captures two-wheelers and autorickshaws struggling to navigate a stretch that looks more like an off-roading course than a city road. Furious residents tagged CM Siddaramiah, Shivakumar, accusing the government of letting the city’s infrastructure crumble while marketing lofty slogans. “Brand Bengaluru? More like Broken Bengaluru,” one user posted.

Critics also hit out at the state’s “Brand Bengaluru” campaign, questioning what brand the city is really selling to the world. “We call ourselves the global tech capital, but our infrastructure looks straight out of a post-disaster movie,” one user wrote.

The anger mainly directed at DyCM and the GBA, with users calling the situation a “real-life simulation” of bad governance. “You call it development, we call it a daily punishment for taxpayers,” wrote a user, while another said sarcastically, “Welcome to the capital of potholes, where promises are smoother than the roads themselves”, a comment said.

Another person had tweeted saying, "the roads are so narrow and uneven that even a two-wheeler feels oversized,” one commuter quipped online. Another commented, “Who needs gyms or adventure sports when our daily commute already tests every bone, nerve, and patience level?”