Timings of PM Modi’s mega roadshow in Bengaluru revised to help examinees

BENGALURU: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day mega roadshow in Bengaluru over this Saturday and Sunday has a revised set of timings now. The schedule, changed thrice in as many days, has been tweaked to avoid traffic snarls and ensure that those appearing for National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET), and Chartered Accountancy (CA) examinations are not inconvenienced.
Unlike their earlier decision to hold a longer roadshow on Sunday (May 7), the BJP leadership has now decided to hold the longer version on Saturday (May 6) and the shorter one covering just 8km on Sunday morning.
The decision to revise timings for the two-day campaign blitzkrieg by the PM comes after hectic parleys between Bengaluru police and the Special Protection Group over the last 48 hours.
The longer stretch of the roadshow will be launched from RBI grounds, near Someshwara Bhavana, under the Bangalore South constituency, on Saturday. It will cut across 13 city constituencies, before ending at Sankey Tank in the Malleswaram segment, covering a distance of 26. 5 km. Saturday’s roadshow will begin at 9am and end at 1pm.
The initial plan to continue the roadshow till 3pm on Saturday was shelved in view of the CA examinations that start at 2pm. On Sunday, the roadshow will cover five constituencies over a distance of just 8km, 2km shorter than what was planned initially, starting from the Kempegowda statue in New Thippasandra at 10 am and ending at Trinity Circle at 11.30 am.
Apart from the twin roadshows in Bengaluru, Prime Minister Modi is also scheduled to travel to Badami and Haveri on May 6 and Shivamogga and Nanjangud on May 7.
Plea disposed of after top cop says diversions in place
The high court on Friday cleared the legal hurdles to Modi’s weekend roadshow in Bengaluru city, after police commissioner Prathap Reddy assured elaborate security arrangements would be in place, along with appropriate traffic diversions, information about which will be disseminated to the public through multiple media platforms in advance.
A vacation bench headed by Justice Krishna S Dixitdisposed of a public interest litigation filed by city advocate NP Amruthesh, seeking a stay on the mega roadshow over Saturday and Sunday.
The petitioner had contended that rallies, such as the ones to be helmed by the PM over this weekendin the city, disrupt the daily lives of people. The bench, however, noted that elections in India are treated as festive occasions and added that there are records to show that rallies of the kind are usual.