Schools were ordered to be closed and families faced difficulties in cremating their dead during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Chandigarh today, prompting him to express regrets for the "inconvenience" caused to its residents and order a probe.
The closure of government and private schools was ordered by the Chandigarh Administration for the first time ever during the visit of a Prime Minister, as traffic snarls, ban on parking of vehicles in parking lots of various markets on the VVIP route and diversion of vehicular traffic added to the hardships faced by people.
During his four-hour visit, Modi had three engagements-- inauguration of the state-of-the-art new civil air terminal building, an address at the 34th Convocation of Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) and a public rally. It was Modi's first visit to Chandigarh after becoming prime minister in May last year.
As citizens seethed in anger, Modi tweeted his regrets.
"The inconvenience caused to citizens in Chandigarh, especially shutting of schools due to my visit is regretted. It was totally avoidable."
"An inquiry will be held & responsibility will be fixed for the inconvenience caused to the people of Chandigarh."
Earlier during the visits of Prime Minister, President or the Vice President, schools were never ordered to be closed.
A senior Chandigarh Administration official said that the decision to close the schools had been taken for safety and security of the children as the time of movement of the prime minister clashed with school hours.
Those wanting to use Chandigarh's main cremation ground in Sector 25, which was next to the venue of a rally addressed by Modi, faced difficulties as it was converted into a makeshift parking lot.
Brigadier(retd) Devinder Singh, who fought in the Kargil war in 1999 against Pakistan, was reportedly among them. His 24-year-old son was killed in a road accident yesterday.
Singh was reported to have cremated his son in Mohali nearby since the main crematorium was not available.
One of the two roads leading to the cremation ground was also closed as it fell on the route leading to rally venue.
A second access road to the cremation ground was, however, kept open, officials said.
However, Vijay Kumar, an attendant at the cremation ground, was quoted as having said that three cremations were diverted to another cremation ground in Chandigarh in Mani Majra area located at a considerable distance.
"The administration could have at least given prior notice (about) the ban on entry to the cremation ground in Sector 25," one resident said, amid reports that families of the bereaved were told to delay the last rites of the dead "for a few hours".
Several Congress activists were detained after the party announced its decision to show black flags to Modi
Local bus services of the Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU) were also hit as 40 of the buses from the fleet of around 350 were requisitioned by the authorities.
As tight security arrangements were put in place for Modi's visit, the traffic police diverted traffic from key routes used by his motorcade.
The Chandigarh Administration also notified routes to be followed by vehicles carrying patients to PGIMER, Sector 16 Government Hospital and the Sector 32 Government Medical College and Hospital. However, there were reports that some ambulances had to take longer routes to reach hospitals, including PGIMER.
