A relative leads former PM HD Deve Gowda’s wife Chennamma to the venue of the swearing-in as her car was stuck... Read More

BENGALURU: Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar on Thursday could not attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new ministers as he was stranded in a traffic jam near Raj Bhavan.

An upset Kumar dashed off a strongly-worded letter to chief secretary K Ratna Prabha, pulling up officials for their failure to make arrangements for smooth flow of traffic.

“I waited for half an hour in the traffic and returned without attending the function. I don’t know who is responsible for the situation. It is the result of ignorance and arrogance of your officers and those in Raj Bhavan. It is the responsibility of your officers to make proper arrangements for the speaker and the chairman of legislative council during such programmes as these are constitutional posts,” Kumar wrote.

He could not reach Raj Bhavan despite the best efforts of police personnel to make way for his vehicle. The speaker also wanted to know whose vehicles were parked inside and outside Raj Bhavan and who had given them permission for it.

Former PM HD Deve Gowda’s wife Chennamma too was stranded in the traffic jam at the entrance of Raj Bhavan and had to walk to the venue.

