A surprise visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday led to traffic snarls in the national Capital with commuters trying to go from Central Delhi to South Delhi facing inconvenience even as the arterial roads remained choked for the VIP movement. 

With security protocols put in place on the roads around Bharat Mandapam for hours in the afternoon and evening, commuters shared their experience of sitting for long hours in their vehicles, waiting for the route to clear.

“There is mindless traffic diversion due to the visit. We were unable to move towards South Delhi for hours from Central Delhi,” a woman stated.

Another added that the arterial roads around India Gate were choked. “It is pathetic that we common people can’t travel normally because of the surprise visit. If their security and time is important, isn’t ours too?”

PM Modi visited PM Gati Shakti set up at Bharat Mandapam on the third anniversary of the launch of the initiative. Due to his sudden visit to the site, elaborate security plans were laid out on the roads of the city as per protocol.

A working professional was not able to reach her office on time as she got stuck on the road opposite to the Bharat Mandapam and complained that there is no value of a normal citizen’s time. “I was coming from the road Bharat mandapam to ITO to my office after finishing an assignment. However, my car was stuck on the red light just near the Bharat Mandapam for about 20 minutes while simultaneously the traffic police stopped the flow of traffic from ITO to Bharat mandapam,” she said.

Asking if her time isn’t as valuable, she added, “I do not like that we as citizens aren’t valued and the politicians that we have voted for to work for get such undue advantage.”

A commuter who frequently travels by buses stated that traffic police were creating chaos at the bus stations. “They hardly gave us a minute to onboard and asked the buses to move quickly at a bus stop near the area where the Prime Minister was visiting,” he complained.

However, this is not the first time such inconveniences were caused to the commuters in the Pragati Maidan area which was redeveloped for easing a chunk of east Delhi traffic. Security measures put in place frequently for VIPs visiting Bharat Mandapam, which was constructed for hosting big events like G20, has become a bane for commuters who are stalled in their vehicles for hours, restricting their movement.