Row erupts over Thiruvananthapuram mayor blocking bus in traffic dispute

Thiruvananthapuram: A controversy erupted on Sunday over Thiruvananthapuram city Mayor Arya Rajendran allegedly blocking a state-run passenger bus here for not giving way to her private car.

Video footage aired by news channels showed the mayor and her co-passengers in the car engaging in heated arguments with the bus driver after blocking the bus at Palayam junction on Saturday.

Police arrested the driver based on the mayor’s complaint that he misbehaved with her. The driver was released as the case was registered for a bailable offence, police said.

The driver has also lodged a complaint with the police against the mayor.

Later, speaking to reporters, the driver alleged that the mayor’s vehicle attempted to overtake the KSRTC bus on the wrong side.

He also alleged that the mayor’s husband MLA K M Sachin Dev forced passengers to get down from the bus after blocking it on the road.

They also allegedly coerced a man into deleting a video of the incident from his mobile phone, the driver alleged.

The driver also stated that he was not aware that Rajendran was the mayor and Sachin Dev was the MLA.

Rejecting the allegations, Rajendran said that this was not an issue of giving way for her car, in which she and her family members were traveling.

She claimed they intervened when the bus was about to hit their car from behind. When she and her sister-in-law looked at the driver through the window panes on the back, he allegedly made sexually suggestive gestures at them and overtook their vehicle, the Mayor alleged.

She also said that the bus was not blocked, and she spoke to the driver when all vehicles were stopped at a red signal.

The Mayor further alleged that the driver shouted at them when they questioned his alleged misbehaviour.