Tamil Nadu minister K T Rajendra Balaji's car today got stuck at a railway level crossing near here as the driver tried to cross even as the gates were being lowered, officials said.
According to officials escorting him, Balaji's assistants thought that the minister, busy in election work, could not afford to wait for 15 minutes if the gates were closed, and asked the driver to rush even as the gate-keeper was closing the gates for the Shencottah-Madurai Passenger train.
The car, however, got stuck as both the gates were lowered.
The escort officials immediately alerted the gate-keeper and railway officials and the gates were opened again to allow the minister's car to pass.
