Stuck for an hour, MP from Uttar Pradesh slams Bengaluru traffic police; netizens say ‘welcome to our daily life’

A complaint by Rajeev Rai, Member of Parliament from Uttar Pradesh, sparked discussions on Bengaluru’s traffic problems on November 30 after he publicly criticised the city’s traffic management on social media.

In a post tagging Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and senior police officials, the MP said he had been stuck for more than an hour on Dr. Rajkumar Samadhi Road while heading to the airport on the same day.

While many users supported his concern, others criticised him for expecting “special treatment”.

“Then leave for the airport on time during Sunday peak hours, sir. Why expect special VVIP treatment? We common people travel like this every day,” wrote Mukesh, an X user.

Mr. Rai alleged that Bengaluru’s traffic police failed to respond to multiple phone calls he made seeking assistance. He shared screenshots of his unanswered attempts. “Not a single policeman is seen around,” he wrote, calling the city’s traffic police “irresponsible” and “inefficient”. He added that poor traffic management was damaging the “name and charm of this beautiful city”, which he said had already earned a reputation for notorious congestion.

A senior police officer, however, told The Hindu that Mr. Rai’s claim was untrue. “Goraguntepalya junction never operates without policemen. Also, it’s a Sunday peak hour; officers will definitely be on the field,” the officer said.

Other users criticised the MP, saying that if he had access to police officers’ numbers, he should also know the appropriate channels to contact.

“Now you know how much public suffers… One day you got stuck you are bringing the roof down… Just pay for the next flight… anyways nothing big you will achieve by attending the parliament session late…. Enjoy what people suffer daily,” Sajith Balagopalan, another user wrote.

Supporting Mr. Rai, Tarak, another user said, “Agreed. The problem isn’t the traffic but the way it’s managed. Bangalore is a great city, yet traffic police and few people often lack common sense. When there’s a free stretch of road and someone still drives dead slowly, it feels like a crime. But it will be resolved soon.”