PM's roadshow brings traffic to halt in Bengaluru

BENGALURU: On day one of the roadshow by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, vehicular movement came to a halt for most part of the day in Bengaluru city on Saturday as the roadshow covered a distance of about 26-km spanning across 13 Assembly seats. The roadshow started at around 10 am and lasted for three-hours before it culminated at Malleshwaram.

Modi would resume his roadshow in Bengaluru city on Sunday wherein he is scheduled to cover a distance of 8-km in his roadshow campaign for Bharatiya Janata Party nominees.

To make way for Modi's roadshow on Saturday, Bengaluru city police had diverted the traffic on RBI Layout and Rose Gardens in J.P. Nagar, Sirsi Circle, J.J. Nagar, Binny Mill road, Shalini ground area, Ramakrishna Ashrama, Uma theatre, Chamarajpet Main road, Balekayi Mandi, West of Chord road, Navarang Junction, Malleshwaram Circle, Sampige road and Sankey road.

The impact of the roadshow affected movement  of emergency services too as an ambulance in J.P. Nagar was stuck in the traffic snarl for about 20-minutes.

Prior to the roadshow, Narendra Modi stated “The bond between Bengaluru and BJP is an old and strong one. This city has supported our party since the early days and we have made numerous efforts for its growth.”

The roadshow began from Someshwara Bhavan in J.P. Nagar in Bengaluru South and Modi rode on a decorated campaign vehicle with Lok Sabha members Tejasvi Surya and P.C. Mohan passed through the rods with crowds waiting to greet the leader.

Flower petals were showered on Modi as he went through the roadshow waving at the crowds and at times appealed to the audience with folded hands.

A supporter of BJP in Malleshwaram stated that she was happy to have a glimpse of Modi and another in the crowd said she waited for two-hours to watch Modi go in the roadshow. Meanwhile, motorists had difficulty over reaching their destinations and fumed at the traffic diversion.

In a video circulated on a social networking site, traffic policemen were taken to task by motorists over the road block and facing stiff opposition to the road blockade, policemen removed a part of the barricade and allowed motorists to continue their journey.