Will you fine politicians for breaking signals?, Nikhil Kamath asks Bengaluru police

Bengaluru: In a recent episode of his podcast, Zerodha, online brokerage platform for stock trading and investing co-founder Nikhil Kamath engaged in a candid conversation with Bengaluru’s Commissioner of Police B Dayananda and Joint Commissioner of Police MN Anucheth, focusing on the city’s infamous traffic congestion and the perception of VIP privilege.

Kamath directly asked, “Do police fine politicians when they break a (traffic) signal?” Commissioner Dayananda acknowledged that individuals holding high constitutional positions such as the chief minister, governor, or prime minister often receive preferential treatment on the road. He explained that this is primarily due to security concerns, stating, “Generally, they give the green signal there…they get the green and go.”

Joint Commissioner Anucheth clarified that priority signalling is based on specific security requirements, not broad privilege. He noted that while not everyone receives such treatment, “many positions in our government require that kind of a security scheme.”

When asked whether fewer people should be granted such exemptions, both Dayananda and Anucheth agreed: “Yes, the lesser, the better.”

The episode offered a rare insight into how VIP movement is managed in Indian cities, and the challenges faced by law enforcement in balancing public convenience with high-level security needs.