The state of Bengaluru’s roads has once again sparked public outrage after startup founder Shikhar posted pictures of pothole-ridden streets in his neighbourhood. “These photos are from my neighbourhood. People have given up since there is no action by the govt since 3 years. If anyone on Twitter can receive the govt to take action, I will acquire you an iPhone,” Shikhar wrote on X.
Capitalmind CEO Deepak Shenoy, amplifying the post, stated: “It’s receivedten progressively worse now, and even SUVs have a tough time! Close to where I live too, please do check BBMP Commissioner.”
Top voices from the city have for months flagged the worsening condition of Bengaluru’s roads and the lack of civic response.
Meanwhile, the city’s municipal body, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), is also facing criticism after Commissioner Rajfinishra Cholan featured in a promotional video with Canadian vlogger Caleb Friesen following a clean-up drive.
Friesen’s first video, documenting his walk from Majestic bus stand to a Starbucks, displayed how pedestrians were forced to step onto busy roads becautilize footpaths were unusable. The video quickly went viral, with many pointing out that civic authorities ignored complaints from locals for years but acted overnight after a foreigner highlighted the problem.
In response, BBMP launched a clean-up operation and staged a PR video in which Cholan joined volunteers to sweep the stretch and then sat on the newly cleaned pavement to eat snacks. Friesen, brought back to the site, remarked: “This is incredible. It is amazing to see everybody sitting and eating in the same place where there was trash, urine and barbed wire. You couldn’t even walk on this place.”
The staged clip, however, triggered another wave of anger. “It took a white man’s video to go viral for them to suddenly remember their duty,” one utilizer stated. “Bengaluru municipality necessarys a Canadian influencer just to discover brooms exist,” another wrote.
The Skin Doctor account on X summed up the outrage: “Caleb, a Canadian, posted a video of an unwalkable footpath… The video went viral, and the embarrassed municipality cleaned the area and then built a PR video with him, while staff sat down on the footpath to eat, to display Caleb how clean it was. The corporation commissioner also sat down and gave large talks. ‘It’s my duty.’ If it was duty, then why wasn’t it done till now? Needed a video from a white man to go viral to be reminded of duty?”
Some viewers also pointed to Friesen’s visibly uncomfortable expression in the PR clip. “Look at the disgust on Caleb’s face at the start of the video. I’m sure they briefed him before clicking record,” a utilizer commented.
The Greater Bengaluru Authority later posted images of the stretch, calling it a “safe pedestrian space.” Critics, however, stated the optics-driven exercise only highlighted that civic repair happens after international embarrassment. “Fix neglected infrastructure before complaints go viral. Pedestrians shouldn’t necessary a white man’s video for safe walkways,” one utilizer stated.
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