One more controversy that saw Murthy in the eye of the storm erupted in October 2005 when former prime minister and Janata Dal (Secular) supremo H D Deve Gowda criticised Murthy saying the software czar had not contributed to Bangalore International Airport Ltd in the five years that he had been chairman of the project. Gowda accused the Infosys chief of meddling in government affairs.

Deve Gowda had also asked the then Karnataka chief minister Dharam Singh to probe land allotment to IT companies -- read Infosys -- and how many jobs they had created.

An upset Murthy, dashed off a letter to the then Karnataka chief minister Dharam Singh, quitting as BIAL chairman. He also issued a point-by-point rebuttal of Gowda's accusations: how much land had been allotted, how much investment had been made, how many jobs had been created.

Soon, Gowda had to retreat before the avalanche of protests he faced following his remarks at Narayana Murthy.

Narayana Murthy (C), with Nasdaq President & CEO Bob Greifeld (6th R) and other Infosys officials during the Nasdaq Remote Opening Bell Ceremony at the Mysore campus of Infosys on July 31, 2006.
Photograph: Strdel/AFP/Getty Images

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