Commuters stuck under blazing sun, with nowhere to go

BANGALORE: Citizens who ventured out on Tuesday morning were in for trouble: the political tussle between the Congress and BJP had spilled on to the roads, blocking major arteries, junctions and four national highways, including Tumkur Road (NH4) and Bangalore-Bellary Road (NH7).
Among those affected were Buddhist devotees who could not attend their morning prayers in the Buddhist temple in Gandhinagar on Buddha Poornima.
Though the protesters were arrested immediately, traffic came to a standstill at all junctions during the hour-long protest. Congress members blocked roads around 11 am at Gopalan Arch near Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Madiwala checkpost on Hosur Road, Nagavara Circle, Minerva Circle, Kanakapura Ring Road, Goraguntepalya on Tumkur Road, Kogilu junction on Bangalore-Bellary Road, Rajiv Gandhi statue in Seshadripuram, KR Puram and Chandapura Circle. Despite diversions being made, commuters had no choice but to wait out the chaos.
Police took 218 Congress leaders into custody and released them later. Additional commissioner of police (law and order) Sunil Kumar said they arrested the agitators under the Karnataka Police Act. "First, the agitators gathered by the roadside. Despite repeated requests and warnings, they started blocking the road. We had no choice but to arrest them," he said.
Coming down heavily on politicians, Aravind Patil, a native of Davanagere, expressed dismay. "This is too much. I have to reach my home town, it's an emergency and I am stuck in TVS Cross, near Jalahalli Circle, for the past one hour. Someone should approach the high court and Supreme Court against road blockades by political parties," he said.
An on-duty traffic official accused some Congress activists of misbehaviour. "We had diverted traffic near Goraguntepalya. Vehicles were allowed to travel via APMC Yard, Mahalakshmi Layout main road and Outer Ring Road near Dr Rajkumar's samadhi. But a few people, claiming to be Congress activists, broke the barricade we erected and drove away," he said.
KOGILU JUNCTION BADLY HIT
The road blockade at Kogilu junction left commuters stranded on BIAL Road. "I don't understand if these politicians are public servants or public enemies. Why do they have to stop traffic to settle their political scores?" remarked a furious Sandesh Kulkarni, HR professional. Sandesh was one of among the many commuters stuck in the heat, unable to move an inch.
Traffic towards Bangalore International Airport did not seem much affected by the protest. However, traffic going towards the city moved slowly, with a long pile-up of vehicles.
Police was deployed in advance at the location of the protest. Around 10.30am, when the protest started, police restricted the workers to the roadside, allowing traffic to move on BIAL Road, though at snail's pace.
As the protest grew, passage through the main road was closed and the roads were filled with protesters. Traffic towards the city was diverted through Yelahanka.
Vehicles had to take a right at Kogilu junction and proceed on Yelahanka main road and join Airport Road near the Jakkuar aerodrome, adding more miles to their travel.
Some of the commuters also had arguments with the police over allowing them on the main road, though they were eventually sent via the diversion routes. "I came to a meet a friend and I don't know the way back, except to go straight till Mehkri Circle. I told the policeman that I didn't know any other route and I should be allowed to travel on the main road, but they are not listening," said Amog Garg, one of the commuters.
It was only after 12 noon, with the arrest of protesters, that traffic was freed up.