BENGALURU: Fruit vendors in Vijayanagara market beamed as they tended to an unusual customer on Sunday evening. The customer not only leant an ear to their woes of business hitting rock bottom due to the lockdown but also bought bananas worth Rs 500 to help them earn a little more than usual.
Soon after, the special customer — Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa — shared the fruits with his staff, police personnel on the spot and citizens and was on his way to tour the city. The CM sprang a surprise on Bengaluru by going around the city to review the lockdown measures. The CM, wearing a mask, spoke to scores of policemen guarding the city under the lockdown, interacted with petrol bunk workers, inquired about business from small vendors and urged common citizens out on the streets to stay home.
Much like the people of Bengaluru, the Chief Minister too took many detours and deviations thanks to many arterial roads being barricaded. Yediyurappa decided to take a tour of the city under lockdown at 3.30 pm. By 3.45pm, with no ministers, no MLAs or even senior police officials to accompany him, the CM, with just two of his personal staff and escort, took off to inspect the lockdown.
First stop was a traffic junction at Yeshwantpur where he stopped to talk to policemen. “He thanked them for serving the city and said they could take as much leave as they want after the lockdown period was over,” said one of the staffers from the Chief Minister’s small party. He then visited the APMC yard despite it being closed for business on Sunday.
Cops caught unawares about CM’S tour
From the APMC yard, the CM went to Goraguntepalya. The next stop was Sumanahalli where Commissioner of Police Bhaskar Rao could join the convoy.
“We did not inform the police of the city tour, so the Commissioner had no idea. He joined us later,” the CM’s staffer said. In Vijayanagar market, Yediyurappa spoke to vendors who said they were barely seeing 1/4 of their usual business due to the lockdown.
During his next stop at Devegowda petrol bunk, the CM was told about worries over livelihood and rent payment by workers at the bunk. The Chief Minister apprised them of his government’s decision to defer rent payments for the next three months and also gave them his OSD’s (Officer on Special Duty) number to contact in case of problems.
Navigating through the inner roads of Maruthi Mandir and Hampi Nagara due to barricading of the main roads, the CM got a little taste of what common citizens have been facing. After inspecting Jayanagar, South End Circle, Yediyurappa visited criminal advocate C V Nagesh’s residence for a quick courtesy visit before returning home.