Shah visit chokes streets, ire at cops

Patna: Peeved over poor traffic management and snarls in Patna, the high court on Thursday slammed the state government and issued summons to chief secretary Deepak Kumar and director-general of police (DGP) Krishna Swaroop Dwivedi to appear in the court on Friday.

The court of Justice A. Amanullah issued the summons to the two officers as the rural development department secretary failed to appear in the court on time as he was struck in a jam due to traffic restrictions for BJP national president Amit Shah’s visit.

The traffic arrangements on Thursday once again led to snarls, leaving the commuters at the receiving end. Traffic jams were witnessed on several routes due to movement of BJP national president Shah’s visit. Roads at Hartali Mor, High Court Mor, Income Tax roundabout, Dak Bungalow, Gandhi Maidan were blocked when Shah’s cavalcade was scheduled to pass through the route from the airport.

Vinod Rai, who was struck at a traffic jam on his bike at Hartali Mor, said: “I am waiting at Hartali Mor for the past 15 minutes under the scorching sun. I had to go towards Raja Bazaar, but the traffic police have stopped traffic as Amit Shah had to pass.”

Rai claimed that though the BJP national president does not hold any constitutional post, he was accorded VIP treatment by the Patna traffic police as if he was the President or the Prime minister of a country or any important foreign guest.

Rai and other commuters were allowed to pass only after Shah’s cavalcade passed through the route. Due to traffic restrictions at Hartali Mor, there were long queues of vehicles from Hartali Mor to Boring Road roundabout.

Though commuters blamed the traffic police for road blockades owing to Shah’s visit, Patna traffic SP P.N. Mishra claimed that no roads were blocked. He said: “No roads were blocked. Traffic was restricted for a few minutes but it’s a normal affair.”

Courtesy: The Telegraph