Karnataka CM boasts of ‘allowing’ ambulance to overtake his car; gets flak on Twitter

The Karnataka CM's post has resulted in a lot of Twitter users calling him out for his 'great achievement'.

Siddaramaiah’s convoys have earlier restricted the movement of traffic and delayed ambulances in the past, which lead him to issue instructions to BTC. (Source: File Photo)

It is a given that ambulance and fire engines, and vehicles with the red emergency sirens on are supposed to be made way for, no matter how heavy the traffic is on the road. After all, in most cases, it’s a matter of saving lives. Karanataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah seems to agree with the ideology (as he must) and took to Twitter to post about how, he too “allowed an ambulance to overtake his convoy”. In case people don’t believe the good deed he claimed, the politician also posted a video. Although he started his tweet by how “BTP stood by my instructions to prioritise the movmnt of ambulances against VIP convoys”, it did not take much time for Twitter users to rip his post apart.

“So this is a big achievement haan? Come on it’s basic common sense to give ambulance priority!” wrote one Twitter user. Some others called it “pre-election gimmicks”, while another said he “deserves a NOBLE Peace Prize” for this.

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This is the CM’s tweet.

BTP stood by my instructions to prioritise the movmnt of ambulances against VIP convoys; today they allowed an ambulance overtake my convoy pic.twitter.com/zRDtTAb9xK

— CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) May 21, 2017

Check out some of the reactions his post has garnered.

@CMofKarnataka So this is a big achievement haan? Come on it’s basic common sense to give ambulance priority!

— ಅಧಿಕ ಪ್ರಸಂಗಿ (@shetty_shailesh) May 21, 2017

@CMofKarnataka We know that election is coming! And we never forget that day when your convoy stopped the an ambulance taking old women to hospital!

— ಅಧಿಕ ಪ್ರಸಂಗಿ (@shetty_shailesh) May 21, 2017

@CMofKarnataka WOW. Great achievement! You deserve a NOBLE Peace Prize for this!

— Rohit Bhat (@iRohitBhat) May 21, 2017

@CMofKarnataka Our honourable CM of Karnataka just posted an achievement of his. pic.twitter.com/z5Sv60D13p

— Sandeep M Shetty (@sandeepmshetty) May 21, 2017

@CMofKarnataka That’s how it should be. In US if a school bus stops, even president’s convoy has to wait. It’s here that we have VIP culture.

— Shashi Bangalore (@shashibk) May 21, 2017

@CMofKarnataka Sir, this is basic courtesy you have to show as human, please don’t share this as achievement..

— Jayashree Sharma (@mejayashree) May 21, 2017

@CMofKarnataka @blrcitytraffic When common sense is boasted upon.. Why do you need a convoy? Take a bus to wherever you are going.. You want public to do it? pic.twitter.com/tH7EpprjdU

— Jeba (@Jeba) May 22, 2017

@CMofKarnataka it’s right of ambulance to get priority. It’s so sad n pathetic that they get it only on ur instructions. Bad leadership

— Ramnath Kini (@RamnathKini2) May 21, 2017

@CMofKarnataka @SrikantSrij26 @CMofKarnataka Dis s too much of self praise.Wat u show as a great achievmnt, luks like a mock https://t.co/dYx5g4pPO3 cultur s indigestibl. pic.twitter.com/cOmTuy4AG3

— Rajani NAIR (@RajaniNAIR08) May 23, 2017

@CMofKarnataka @DCPTrEastBCP not sure y r u projecting this as some thing great u did. u only corrected yr earlier mistakes and we look forward to see in the future also

— I CHANGE HEMMIGEPURA (@hemmigepura) May 22, 2017

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While the ‘VIP culture’ in India has previously shown records of how many people on roads are affected due to VIPs’ cars and convoys blocking roads and restricting traffic movements, this is unarguably a welcome thing, but Twitterati were undivided on the the fact that the minister really did not have to treat this as a “great achievement”.

In June, last year, a video showing an ambulance being stopped to allow Siddaramaiah’s convoy to pass through went viral, drawing flak for the deeply-laden VIP culture in the society. This repeated again this year on May 4, when the traffic police restricted traffic for the CM’s convoy to pass near Town Hall. This was when Siddaramaiah issued the orders to not stop ambulances for the movement of VIP convoys.