Bengaluru, 1 June

An inquiry was initiated on Monday after a video surfaced on social media, purportedly showing a man staging a sit-in protest on Old Airport Road here, claiming that his pregnant wife was stuck inside their vehicle due to a traffic halt enforced for VIP movement, police said.

The incident on Sunday sparked outrage on social media after claims that traffic on the Old Airport Road was halted to allow the Governor's convoy to pass.

In a video uploaded to the social media platform 'X' by a user, which has since gone viral, a visibly disturbed motorist was seen sitting on the road in front of police personnel.

When police officials intervened, he allegedly refused to move, claiming that his pregnant wife was inside the car and required urgent medical attention.

He also questioned why VIP movements are prioritised over public emergencies.

The video was recorded by passersby and fellow commuters, drawing sharp criticism online, with people slamming the VIP culture on the city's already congested roads, raising concerns about the inconvenience caused to the public.

"Old Airport Road is already choking under underpass construction. Today, traffic was completely halted for nearly 30 minutes due to the Governor's movement. A man carrying his pregnant wife was stuck in the gridlock. When will public convenience matter as much as VIP convenience?" stated the user who uploaded the video.

A senior traffic police officer said an inquiry had already been initiated into the matter and that the facts were being verified, based on which appropriate action would be taken.

Sharing the post, IT veteran TV Mohandas Pai slammed the VIP culture and tagged CM-designate DK Shivakumar, urging him to review traffic stoppages for VIP movements and alleged that police halt traffic for longer than necessary.

"Please do away with such VIP culture in the city. Police are very rude to citizens, too and push them around. Citizens should be treated with respect.

"We are not subjects. I was abused by a SP earlier at Raj Bhavan some time ago. This bad culture of abuse has to change," he said on 'X' while also tagging Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh, Karnataka DGP M A Saleem and Home Minister Amit Shah in his post.