Corporate honchos T V Mohandas Pai and Kiran Mazumdar Shaw have apologised for the embarrassment caused by their recent comments regarding the appointment of SR Patil as Karnataka's IT-BT minister.

Biocon's Kiran Mazumdar Shaw wrote an apology letter to Patil, and Pai, chairman of Manipal Global Education, met Patil personally at his office in Vidhana Soudha on Friday, to apologise.

Patil confirmed that Pai and Shaw had apologised and added, "I don't want to carry this forward in the larger interest of the IT and BT sector."

Pai and Mazumdar Shaw had questioned Patil's ability to hold the portfolio, owing to his age. Patil had replied, asking whether the chief minister should have consulted Pai and Shaw before allotting portfolios.

Source: The Times of India