'My wife is pregnant': Bengaluru man sits on road in protest against Governor's convoy as wife gets stuck in gridlock

Outraged over a 30-minute traffic halt enforced for the movement of the Karnataka Governor’s convoy, a man staged a sit-in protest on Old Airport Road, claiming his pregnant wife was stuck inside their vehicle in the resulting gridlock.

The incident, which occurred on Sunday evening, sparked widespread public anger and debate on social media platforms over VIP culture on Bengaluru's already congested roads.

The Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) blocked traffic completely on Old Airport Road for half an hour to clear a corridor for the Governor's movement. This section of the road is already a bottleneck due to ongoing underpass construction work. The sudden stoppage led to bumper-to-bumper congestion, stranding hundreds of commuters.

As seen in the viral video, amidst the mounting gridlock, a motorist, visibly distressed, stepped out of his car and sat down directly on the road in front of the deployed police personnel. Refusing to budge, he was seen gesturing desperately, telling the officers that his pregnant wife was inside the car and required urgent medical attention.

"Sir, my wife is pregnant," the man was heard shouting at the traffic cops, questioning the priority given to high-profile dignitaries over a medical emergency.

Passersby and fellow commuters captured the confrontation on their smartphones, and videos of the lone man protesting against a police officer quickly went viral on social media, drawing sharp criticism from netizens.

The incident triggered an outpouring of rage online, with citizens questioning the accountability of authorities who manage VIP transit without keeping adequate emergency contingencies in place on narrow, construction-hit corridors.

"When will public convenience matter as much as VIP convenience? Old Airport Road is already choking under underpass construction. To halt it completely for 30 minutes is pure insensitivity," wrote an angry commuter on X.

Local residents also expressed solidarity with the protester, arguing that the life and comfort of regular citizens and patients are routinely compromised for political elites. "When will the convenience and lives of regular citizens and patients become as important as VIP comfort?" a resident questioned online.