NAMAKKAL: Traffic was disrupted for almost an hour near the Pallipalayam bus stop on the Salem–Chennai National Highway during an event organised by TVK minister C Vijayalakshmi to thank her voters in the Kumarapalayam assembly constituency in Namakkal district on Thursday. The programme began near the Pallipalayam bus stop from where the dairy development minister, who is the local MLA, travelled on an open jeep greeting people. Her event drew large crowds of party members and supporters, which led to severe disruption on the busy highway. Buses and heavy vehicles were stranded in long queues, while two-wheeler riders struggled to cross the area. Commuters waiting for buses were left stranded in the scorching sun as vehicles remained stuck in the traffic block. Despite efforts by Pallipalayam police to regulate traffic, it persisted for nearly an hour. Residents expressed their frustration. R Karthikeyan, a resident of Pallipalayam, said he had been waiting for a bus for more than 45 minutes in the hot sun and felt the programme could have been held on a ground. S Meenakshi, a commuter from Kumarapalayam, said her two-wheeler was stuck in traffic and she could not reach her workplace on time. P Rajendran, a shopkeeper near the bus stop, said the minister should have considered the public’s hardship before choosing the location, adding that national highways are not meant for political shows. V Arulmozhi, a college student from Pallipalayam, said it was disappointing that public convenience was ignored.
