Bengaluru:
The driver of a state transport bus in Karnataka has landed in trouble after stopping the bus on the roadside to offer namaz. An inquiry has been ordered after a video of him at prayer was widely circulated.
In the video, the man can be seen perched on a seat, offering prayers, the bus parked on the shoulder of the road while traffic thunders by. The handful of passengers in the bus can be seen watching helplessly. Some kept recording the situation on their cellphones.
The incident took place at the Huballi Haveri Marg near Javeri on Tuesday evening.
Sources said some of the passengers have complained after the incident and the Karnataka State Transport Corporation has started an inquiry. The department said action will be taken after the investigation.
The state’s transport minister Ramalinga Reddy was stern. In a letter to the manager of the North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation, he wrote, “The staff working in a public service has to follow certain rules and regulations compulsorily”.
“Even though everyone has a right to practice any religion, they can do so except during office hours. It is objectionable to perform namaz by stopping the bus midway even though there are passengers travelling in the bus,” letter read.
“It is instructed to conduct immediate inquiry into the said viral video and to take disciplinary action if the staff found guilty. Action should be taken to prevent recurring of these types of incidents in future,” the minister added.