BBMP officials stop MLA from installing bus stop without permission in Indiranagar
Bengaluru: The mystery of the missing bus shelter turned into a full-blown political row on 100 feet road in Indiranagar on Friday afternoon. It all started when the local MLA S. Raghu and his men arrived at the Doopanahalli bus stop to install the new bus shelter. BBMP officials and dozens of Dalit activists arrived at the spot to stop the MLA from installing the shelter without the permission from the corporation.
However the MLA and his men, who were adamant about installing the bus shelter, managed to erect it. They argued that there was already a bus shelter in place that went mysteriously missing last week. In the new bus shelter, there were no names or photographs of anybody on it. Earlier the Dalit activists, claiming to be from a Congress supported organisation, resorted to a flash protest and the traffic movement on 100 feet road was badly affected.
The BBMP officials, including the Joint Commissioner, East Zone, Ajith Kumar Hegde along with Executive Engineer John, rushed to the spot with a JCB to bring down the structure. Heated arguments ensued between the MLA’s men and the BBMP officials, who were backed by Dalit activists. Police were summoned to the spot and senior police officers, including DCP East Division Satheesh Kumar, intervened and controlled the crowd, who were attempting to block the road.
BJP MLA Raghu along with the supporters at the Indiranagar bus stop where some BSP party workers tried to demolish it in Bengaluru on Friday (Photo: Satish.B)
Later, when the MLA questioned about the existence of a bus stand that later went missing, the BBMP officials feigned ignorance. “I really don’t know if there was a bus stop before as the MLA is claiming. I received information that somebody is installing a bus shelter without corporation’s permission and since it is an unauthorised structure on government property, I am here,” said Ajith Kumar Hegde, Joint Commissioner, BBMP, East Division to DC.
Finally they reached an agreement that the shelter can remain, but there were heated arguments regarding whose name and photographs will be displayed. While Dalit activists wanted the shelter to have photograph of Dr B.R. Ambedkar, the MLA and his men wanted pictures of Swami Vivekananda, Bhagat Singh, Basavanna, Kempegowda, Sir M. Vishweshwaraiah, Raj Kumar and Vishnuvardhan.
Later it was decided that the bus stop will only have ‘Doopanahalli Bus Stop’ written both in English and Kannada on it and nothing else.
Bus karo, all we need is a bus stand
The bus shelter did finally go up, in the exact same spot that it had been, this time last week, before it vanished last week, just as it had, twice in December and again this May. And thankfully, this time, there were no pictures of politicians, past and present. The politicization of these bus shelters must end. It's a bus stop. Not a political campaign!
