Stroke patient stuck for 2 hrs on road in Tripura’s VIP blockade for VP visit

Agartala: The state govt faced sharp criticism on Sunday after a stroke patient was stranded for more than two hours due to security blockades during the visit of Vice President of India, C P Radhakrishnan, to Tripureswari temple.Police were deployed along the 55-kilometre Agartala-Udaipur national highway in the morning to keep the route clear. Vehicles were stopped along the corridor, including pedestrians, ambulances and other emergency service vehicles, triggering anger among commuters and local residents.According to reports, long stretches of the road between Udaipur and Agartala were shut well ahead of the Vice President’s scheduled visit, creating widespread disruption.

The outcry intensified after details emerged that the stroke patient’s vehicle, among others, was held at Bishalgarh for hours while security personnel cleared the highway.The patient remained inside the car during the delay. Images and videos of the stranded patient circulated widely, fuelling public outrage and raising questions over the handling of medical emergencies under VIP security protocols.Similar disruptions were reported in Agartala city, where traffic on routes including North Gate and Airport Road was stopped nearly an hour before the Vice President’s scheduled appearance at Tripura University.

Pedestrians also reported being blocked, with some appealing to police personnel for passage. In areas without traffic police, confrontations were reported between stranded commuters and members of Tripura State Rifles and civil police.Human rights activists said established VIP movement protocols across India require emergency vehicles, including ambulances and patient carriers, to be given priority passage regardless of security arrangements, and warned that such incidents have become recurring in Tripura.Allegations also surfaced that ambulances and mortuary vehicles were stranded during the visit of Union home minister Amit Shah two weeks ago. A designated police officer involved in traffic management had said the instructions were implemented strictly on the direction of top security officials.Separately, objections were raised over police issuing passes for entry to the 14th convocation at Tripura University, where Radhakrishnan was the chief guest. Faculty members, staff and students reported resentment after many were denied access to the hall.