Minister Ganesh Naik's convoy drives on wrong side amid traffic jam; commuters fume

Thane, Oct 15 (PTI) A video of Maharashtra Forest Minister Ganesh Naik's convoy travelling on the wrong side of the road to avoid a massive traffic jam on Ghodbunder Road in Thane surfaced on social media, with commuters seeking to know if rules were meant to be followed only by common citizens.

The incident occurred on Wednesday morning when Naik was heading to Palghar from Navi Mumbai for a meeting of the District Planning Committee (DPC).

Naik is also the district guardian minister of Palghar.

The BJP minister's convoy with police escort took a U-turn to avoid the traffic jam, and started going on the wrong side of the road.

Eyewitnesses and commuters were quick to capture videos and photos of the minister's convoy driving on the wrong side. The video that has surfaced on social media shows the minister in his car.

Angry citizens took to social media to express outrage, saying such instances expose the "two Indias on the same road - one for the powerful and one for the powerless".

"Traffic rules apply only to the 'aam aadmi' (common people), not the VVIPs," one commuter said.

According to officials, the minister's convoy was stranded between Versova and Khanivda toll plazas, following which he took the Virar-Safale Ro-Ro boat service to bypass the jam.

After reaching the venue of the DPC meeting, he instructed the district administration and police to devise permanent measures to resolve the issue of traffic jams on the national highway "once and for all", officials said.

The traffic congestion was primarily caused by a 'mega block' in the Gaimukh area, police said, adding that heavy vehicles parked in the middle of the road, instead of to one side, led to gridlock on both sides of the highway.

At the DPC meeting, MLA Sneha Dubey Pandit demanded that time restrictions be imposed to control the movement of heavy vehicles through Palghar and Vasai talukas, while MLA Rajendra Gavit accused the highway police of failing to control the traffic. PTI COR NP KRK