Police focus shifts to managing crowd, VIP movements at political rallies

Mysore/Mysuru: One-and-a-half months after the District Administration and City Police cleared Mahatma Gandhi Road (M.G. Road) of traffic snarls caused by haphazardly parked vegetable-laden vehicles, wandering vendors, roadside sales, foraging cattle and stray dogs, the situation has deteriorated back to square one.

The focus of the City Police has shifted due to political rallies against irregularities in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) organised by the BJP and JD(S), along with counter-rallies and protests  by the Congress.

As a result, the Police are preoccupied with managing crowds at these events and ensuring security for VIPs due to the heightened political activity in the city. This has left them with insufficient resources to maintain order on M.G. Road.

Despite numerous appeals and concerns over an extended period, the issue remains unresolved. Vendors have returned, blatantly ignoring the ‘no parking’ rule, and stray cows are also back, munching on vegetables and disrupting traffic flow. Vegetable tempos too are back, creating significant chaos and obstructing both motorists and pedestrians.

On June 19, the then Deputy Commissioner (DC) Dr. K.V. Rajendra, the then City Police Commissioner Ramesh Banoth and other officers personally inspected the M.G. Road and asked the vendors to restrict their activities to the market and not spill over to the road.

They instructed that vehicles carrying vegetables and fruits must enter the market rather than being parked on the road. All vehicles were mandated to load and unload produce inside the market premises.

On July 4, the City Police Commissioner designated the M.G. Road as a ‘no parking’ zone for all types of vehicles, near the vegetable market. There was a ban on parking from the Manasa Road Junction to Underbridge on the M.G. Road, both north and south sides.

Police and Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) sources informed Star of Mysore this morning that the traffic situation on M.G. Road will only be addressed after the political rallies conclude. “We cannot make unilateral decisions about relocating vendors without Police support,” an MCC officer stated.

All the senior Police officers were busy ensuring order at the BJP-JD(S) rally at Maharaja’s College Grounds this morning and as such, their comments were unavailable. Until the political storm settles, commuters, residents, shoppers and tourists will have to navigate through the chaotic traffic on M.G. Road.