Traffic stopper Advani spoils plans of many

Lal Kishenchand Advani surely would not have wanted his Bharat Uday Yatra to have this kind of an impact.

The roads Advani traversed from Kanyakumari to Kottayam were caught in a terrible traffic jam. So much so that people missed flights, trains and buses.

Complete coverage of Advani's yatra

Thousands of vehicles were forced to line up on the National Highway 47 between Nagercoil and Thiruvananthapuram on Monday afternoon.

The 15-kilometre traffic queue made Nagarjuna Selven of Nagercoil, who was to take a flight out of Thiruvananthapuram to Chennai, miss it.

"I spent five hours on the road and my flight has already left for Chennai. I want to tell Advani that there is no feel good factor for the people on the roads because of his journey," said an agitated Selven, who was to take a flight from Chennai to Doha at night.

Like Selven, hundreds of people either missed their trains or buses or reached home late at night.

A group of youngsters travelling who were tired of sitting in a bus at Marthandam in Tamil Nadu in the scorching heat got down and shouted slogans against the Advani road show. "Go back, go back Advani," they yelled.

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"Why can't the Indian politicians hold these yatras without disturbing the common people. Roads are here already bad and when politicians travel with their cavalcade, it becomes worse," Mohammed Sharief, one of the protesters pointed out.

Advani who is travelling in an air-conditioned Swaraj Mazda bus often pops on to the rooftop of the bus, in a hydraulic lift, to address roadside meetings in small towns.

In bigger towns and constituencies, the deputy prime minister addresses public rallies.

A long cavalcade of vehicles, to more than 500, follows Advani. Most of the vehicles belong to the local BJP leaders, the media people and the security personnel that include the local police forces and the elite National Security Guards.

The local police have been told to block traffic till the Advani caravan sets off from each town.

"We can't help the traffic jams. That will continue till the Advani's yatra lasts because we have to provide him with highest security, as he is the deputy prime minister," a senior police officer in Kottayam pointed out.

The security agencies are going through a nightmarish situation, as they have to prepare and clear the roads in preparation for the yatra. In all the roads that Advani passes police personnel are posted at every 15 feet.

"This is the highest security that we have given to a political journey. We have to ensure that no violence takes places during the Advani yatra," a senior police officer following the road show said.