Shivakumar fires back at SP MP over Bengaluru traffic jibe

SP MP Rajeev Rai slammed Bengaluru’s traffic as “notorious.” DK Shivakumar hit back, saying he’ll show him Delhi’s congestion instead

Bengaluru’s traffic woes sparked a political exchange this week after Samajwadi Party MP Rajeev Rai lashed out at the city’s management, calling it the 'most notorious' in the country. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who oversees Bengaluru’s development portfolio, responded sharply, promising to 'show him' the congestion in Delhi instead.

Rai, who represents Ghosi in Uttar Pradesh and is part of the INDIA bloc, took to X on Sunday after being stuck for nearly an hour on Rajkumar Samadhi Road. He claimed the jam nearly caused him to miss his flight and accused the city’s traffic police of being 'irresponsible' and 'useless.' In his post, Rai tagged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the police commissioner, sharing a screenshot of unanswered calls and alleging that no officers were present to manage the situation. He warned that such dysfunction risked damaging the reputation of Bengaluru, which he otherwise described as a beautiful city.

Shivakumar brushed off the criticism with political wit. “Let me meet him in Delhi… I will show him the traffic in Delhi,” he told reporters, suggesting that the capital’s gridlock would put Bengaluru’s problems in perspective.

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This is not the first time Shivakumar’s remarks on traffic have stirred debate. Earlier, he had controversially claimed that 'even god cannot fix Bengaluru’s traffic' and quipped that 'people hesitate to marry a boy who doesn’t own a car.' His comments were linked to his support for a costly tunnel project designed primarily for cars, which drew sharp reactions from civic activists.

The exchange comes as Bengaluru continues to rank among the world’s slowest cities for travel speed. According to the 2024 TomTom Traffic Index, the city was placed in the top five globally, based on analysis of over 737 billion kilometres of vehicle data

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