The common man has been suffering for a long time because of VIP culture. A recent incident of premature closure of a stadium so that an IAS officer can ‘walk his dog’ has rekindled the debate. But over time the reported danger has led to worse incidents.
While such recurring incidents have often been questioned by the courts and the public, they do happen. News18 first takes a look at 10 such cases:
1) When the country went into lockdown, many, mostly the poor, suffered because of the travel restrictions. However, the daughter of a BJP MLA in Bihar, who was studying in Rajasthan’s Kota, could return safely after her influential father got special permission from the authorities to travel to Kota and bring him back, reports The Print. .
2) People are “disappointed” with VIP culture, especially in temples, a bench of the Madras High Court said in March this year, and on Wednesday issued several orders regarding special darshan at a famous temple in Tamil Nadu. Justice SM Subramaniam, while hearing a case regarding the famous Arulmigu Subramanian Swamy temple at Tiruchendur in Tuticorin district, observed that VIP entry should be limited to himself and his family members, but not to relatives. The Times of India,
“There can be no argument that some people deserve special philosophy. However, such behavior is reserved only for the particular offices the person is holding, but not for the individual. In most developed countries, the state protects only a small number of people at the top, namely constitutional dignitaries and the rest manage their securities. Some special privileges should not come in the way of equality of citizens,” the judge said, adding that ‘God is the only VIP’.
3) According to a report in Tribune, the VIP culture at Chandigarh Railway Station is still alive and well. A separate VIP lane has been established that connects to the main entrance of the station and prevents private vehicles from entering, reducing the width of the adjacent lane for the general public. According to the Government Railway Police, the purpose of creating a separate lane for VIPs is to ensure their safety and ensure smooth flow of traffic at the main gate of the station.
4) In 2016, Kailash Chand, a resident of East Delhi had suffered a heart attack. As Hindustan Times reports, his son Arvind attempted to bring him to the hospital, but he was stopped by the police near the Geeta Colony bridge, which was closed and traffic was redirected. Arvind requested the security personnel to let him go after the passage of time, but they refused. Chand’s auto-rickshaw then stopped at various lights before reaching the hospital via Mori Gate and ITO. He traveled an hour and a half to reach Lok Nayak Hospital, which is barely 10 minutes away. Chand died on the way. Police told Arvind that there were “a lot of VVIP agitations” in the area as part of the Independence Day dress rehearsal, and they could not let them go.
5) In 2017, footage of an ambulance carrying a bloodied child went viral for a few minutes after the route for VIP transit was blocked in the Central District area, sparking outrage. In the video that has gone viral on social media, a youth can be seen lying on a stretcher in an ambulance amid a traffic jam, some onlookers trying to persuade the police officers to let the ambulance inside. In the two-minute film, people can be heard saying that a child’s life is more important than the movement of a VIP. The Indian Express reported that the incident took place outside Gate 14 of the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, which is located near the IP Estate. According to police, the route was closed to the public as the Malaysian head of state had to travel.
Following the outcry, the police said that its officers followed protocol. According to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) MS Randhawa, and it took a few minutes for the officials to get the ambulance out. According to him, the ambulance was escorted from behind the traffic to the barricades by the police officers.
6) In 2010, a patient died on the way to the hospital as the path of then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was cleared. The patient died in the ambulance after being stuck as the Prime Minister’s path was cleared. Victim Anil Jain had complained of chest pain on Sunday afternoon. Jain was taken to Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital by his relatives, but no pacemaker was available for his treatment. After this Jain’s family members went to GB Pant Hospital, but they were stopped near Rajghat as Singh’s convoy passed. He claimed to have dialed the police emergency number 100, but got no help. By then PM Singh’s convoy had passed that the ambulance could move. But by then it was too late for Jain. He died in an ambulance on his way to the hospital.
7) People expressed outrage earlier this month, when officials asked citizens to change their travel plans due to VIP movements in Bengaluru a day earlier. A tweet by the Deputy Commissioner of North (DCP) said, “Passengers to and from Kempegowda International Airport on Tuesday (May 3) between 11.30 am and 1.30 pm are requested to avoid the movement of dignitaries. Please adjust your travel plans due to traffic congestion. , The public has been humbly asked to cooperate. The public reacted angrily to the advice on social media, with some calling it “VIP culture” and others wondering how they could modify their travel arrangements so quickly.
8) In July last year, an ambulance carrying an old patient was stuck in traffic for a long period at the Masab Tank Junction after the Hyderabad traffic police stopped vehicles to clear a minister’s convoy. On social media, a video showing a siren-sounding ambulance stalled in traffic, following which one of its medical staff personally approached the traffic constable and they had an argument, went viral. As the traffic was stopped for VIP movement, netizens on Twitter and other social media platforms questioned the traffic police for not allowing the medical emergency vehicle to pass the signal, reported The Indian Express.
9) In 2017, an ambulance was stopped for about 15 minutes on Queen’s Road in Bengaluru when police blocked traffic to allow the then Home Minister G Parameshwara’s convoy. Traffic policemen blocked Queens Road after a meeting at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office to allow G Parameshwara’s convoy to pass. During this, an ambulance going towards Bhagwan Mahaveer Jain Hospital was stopped in traffic. Deccan Herald reported that the ambulance was taking a 60-year-old patient from a private hospital after suffering a heart attack.
10) According to a recent report by TBS, a schoolboy died in an ambulance on his way to the hospital at Kathalbari Ferry Ghat in Madaripur after the ferry was delayed by three hours while the yacht was waiting for the joint secretary of the ministry. .
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