Traffic congestion hits Hyderabad during Amit Shah's visit
Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to the Bhagya Laxmi temple and a padayatra caused disruptions across the city.
Severe traffic jams disrupted life in several parts of Hyderabad from afternoon until evening on Monday, according to Telangana Today. The congestion followed the visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to the Bhagya Laxmi temple near Charminar and his participation in a Maha Padayatra for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The movement of the Union Minister and programme arrangements affected the Old City and central parts of the city. Congestion was particularly severe in areas including Charminar, Pathergatti, and Osmangunj, while traffic also moved slowly at MJ Market, Koti, Putlibowli, Nampally, and Basheerbagh.
Traffic police imposed diversions and restricted vehicular movement at vital junctions to facilitate the visit. Motorists travelling towards the city centre and the Old City had to use alternative routes, and normal movement took time to resume after the programmes concluded.
Reacting to the visit, Congress leader Pawan Khera criticised the central leadership on Tuesday. In a post on X, Khera questioned the government's focus, suggesting the Union Home Minister should be addressing ethnic violence in Manipur, where five Kuki men were killed within a 24-hour window.
Khera stated that the Union leadership should have convened emergency reviews in Delhi if an on-ground assessment was logistically challenging. He noted that the humanitarian crisis in Manipur has been persisting since May 2023.