A Bengaluru commuter staged a road protest after traffic was halted for Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot's convoy, leaving him and his pregnant wife stranded in heavy congestion on Old Airport Road. Frustrated by the delay, the man sat in the middle of the road and questioned why ordinary citizens were being inconvenienced for VIP movement.
According to videos that went viral on social media, the man repeatedly told traffic personnel that his wife was pregnant and that they also had important work to attend to. “My wife is pregnant. Why have you blocked the signal? Just because the Governor is a VIP, does that mean we are nobody?” he was heard saying during a heated exchange with police officials.
The incident occurred on Bengaluru's Old Airport Road near the ISRO Junction, a stretch already facing severe congestion due to ongoing underpass construction. Several reports claimed traffic was halted for nearly 30 minutes to facilitate the Governor's convoy, resulting in long queues of stranded vehicles.
Traffic officers attempted to persuade the commuter to move, assuring him that he was equally important and requesting him to clear the road. However, he initially refused and continued his sit-in protest before eventually leaving the spot after police intervention.
The episode quickly sparked widespread debate online over VIP culture and traffic restrictions in major cities. Former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai also weighed in, urging authorities to review prolonged traffic stoppages for VIP movement and calling for greater respect towards citizens.
“Please review such stoppage of traffic for VIP movement... Please do away with such VIP culture in the city,” he said in a post on X.
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As per a senior officer, police have reportedly initiated an inquiry into the incident and the alleged duration of the road closure.
“We are verifying CCTV footage from HAL Airport to the location where the man protested on the road. If vehicles were stopped for 30 minutes, necessary action will be taken,” the officer said, reported The Times of India.
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