Traffic rule violation by Union Transport Minister: Gadkari rids scooter without helmet

Nagpur, Oct 25: Union Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari today rode into a controversy when he was caught on camera entering RSS headquarters here on his scooter without wearing a helmet in violation of traffic rules.

TV channels showed the 58-year-old BJP MP from Nagpur riding his white-coloured scooter to the Sangh headquarters in Mahal area of the city to meet RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat amid efforts by the party to form government in Maharashtra.

When pointed out by journalists about him having violated the rules, Gadkari refused to comment and entered the premises with a man riding pillion and another scooter in tow.

Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh strongly reacted to Gadkari's action, saying it reflected the "attitude of the leader and the party".

"It is a very small thing and for anyone else it wouldn't have mattered...for the transport minister of the government of India, who is violating the law which he had to be enforcing, then it does make a difference," he said.

"This reflects the attitude of the leader and the party, whether they believe in following the rules or not," he said.

One of the TV news channels claimed the former BJP chief was earlier caught on camera riding a scooter without wearing helmet in December last year when he was not a Cabinet Minister.

With the shoe on the other foot now, it was not immediately known if Nagpur police was contemplating booking the Union Minister for violating traffic rules.

According to Nagpur traffic police website, wearing helmet is compulsory and violators will be charged Rs 100 under Section 177 of the M V Act-1988.

Comments

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

Major facelift for Mangaluru's sporting heart: Mangala Stadium set for 2-month closure to upgrade synthetic track

News Network

December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

Comments