Bengaluru traffic police on Tuesday said the Congress rally had nothing to do with the late arrival of a NEET candidate who missed the June 21 exam in the city.Police said CCTV footage, route analysis and interactions with the candidate and her parents showed she arrived at the exam center after the stipulated cut-off time due to her late departure from home and the route she chose.According to police, the candidate left his residence in RT Nagar at 12:57 pm. The closing time for entry into the exam center is 1.30pm. She arrived at the test center area at 1:33 p.m., three minutes after the deadline.“CCTV footage and route analysis confirmed that the candidate left just 33 minutes before the stipulated deadline,” police said.The fact check also showed that the student took the longer route despite having a shorter option. “Analysis showed that the candidate took the longer route despite the availability of shorter routes that would have expedited the journey,” police noted.The police further stated that traffic conditions along the route were generally normal and there were no serious congestion related to public events. Transportation personnel deployed on the route help candidates travel wherever they need to go.“Based on CCTV footage, interactions with candidates and parents and route analysis, available evidence does not suggest that traffic congestion at public events is causing delays,” the statement said.It added that the main reason for being late was that candidates set off only 33 minutes before the deadline and chose a longer travel route.Several parents claimed that traffic diversions and congestion caused by the Congress rally resulted in delays for students on their way to exam centres. Outside the exam center in Bengaluru, some students who arrived after the gates were closed were denied entry, sparking protests from parents.The BJP has since accused the Congress government in Karnataka of failing to prioritize students. The state government responded by pointing out that students had missed exams in other states as well and criticized the BJP over the question paper leak controversy.
