BJP councillor sitting in Pothole to protest bad roads, angry at Gwalior with government response. A protest took place in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. As angry and frustrated at the state government for not taking action against a highway menace due to repeated accidents and time spent in repairs it was BJP councillor Aparna Patil sitting in the middle of damaged road to bring attention in the right way.
This protest took place at Basant Vihar Colony, with the road in a bad state for years. Aparna Patil, councillor for Ward 58, stood by the pothole and discussed how serious the problem is. A number of accidents had already taken place on the road and many people were injured, she said. Although tenders and work orders had been done earlier, repair work has not started and residents are at risk.
Residents in the town supported Aparna Patil’s protest and advocated for swift action. The damaged road, many told us, was a danger to everybody; schoolchildren, old people, and tourists on bicycle rides, they said. The novelty of a councillor sitting in a pothole had immediate attention in the city at first as it instantly became viral in front of everyone.
The protest forced officials from the municipal corporation to notice. Aparna Patil accused the Congress-led corporation of negligence and political bias in procrastination of road repairs. She threatened to set up a bigger protest at the municipal building if repairs were not done soon. When that began to take place, they said that construction might start relatively soon.
The protest is part of the huge road safety issue in Gwalior. Potholes and unfinished construction projects caused many accidents in the city. People do not want that while we are getting funding that we still want to complete our roads but, in many cases, the administration of projects and in some cases the government cannot because there is a conflict and no clear government. Aparna Patil's protest also highlights that due to not being held accountable, things should be completed ASAP.
The protest by BJP councillor Aparna Patil that is taking place tells us how frustration with poor infrastructure can easily lead to bold action. Sitting in a pothole, she brought the attention of residents and pushed the authorities to act; she was right, so they did. That the risk of road safety is far greater than convenience is. Resurgent repairs and stronger accountability should be taking place immediately to stop these disasters from happening in Gwalior as a result.
