BANGALORE: It's one thing to hold a meet at a fixed venue and an altogether different thing when the procession is held on busy streets.
The Shobha Yatra of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) was one such, though early planning by the city police helped mitigate congestion in most of the stretches of the route.
But commuters passing through Mysore Bank Circle were in for a harrowing time even before the procession began. With the right side of the road being bifurcated to facilitate traffic from both sides, the recently done up stretch could not handle the density.
As a huge group of students and members made their way through the route, Chickpet Circle was filled with chaotic scenes. "The intersection had one road totally blocked and the other one partially. When such processions takes place, why can't the police cordon off the entire zone?" asked Vinay Prasad, a commuter.
The bustling Majestic area, fortunately, did not witness any problems.
However, the neighbouring Anand Rao Circle, where the procession ended, caught many people unaware. "I heard from others that the procession would reach here by 5.30 pm, but it reached about 45 minutes later. So, it was inevitable as the public meeting at the circle was delayed further," complained a twowheeler rider.
While no untoward incidents were reported, the rally proceeded with messages against corruption, commercialisation of education and on ecofriendly practices.