Vehicular movement in several parts of central Delhi was affected on Monday since the Delhi Traffic Police have closed down some roads, apart from imposing restrictions and diversions, due to protests against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s scheduled appearance before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for a fourth round of questioning in the alleged National Herald newspaper money laundering case.
The Congress on Sunday announced that its leaders and workers will stage a peaceful protest across the country also against the contentious Agnipath recruitment scheme and the ‘Modi govt’s vendetta politics’ against senior party leader Gandhi.
On Monday around 7.30am, the Delhi Traffic Police issued advisories on social media to inform the public about the restrictions and diversions in the national capital. Although the advisories mentioned that the regulations will remain in effect between 8 am and noon, traffic police officials said the timings may be extended if protests continued longer.
In the first tweet, the traffic police advised the public to avoid Motilal Nehru Marg, Akbar Road, Janpath and Man Singh Road between 8 am and 12 noon. “Due to special arrangements, traffic movement will not be possible on these roads,” it read.
“Kindly avoid Gol Methi junction, Tughlak Road Junction, Claridges Junction, Q-point Junction, Sunehri Masjid Junction, Maulana Azad Road Junction and Man Singh Road Junction between 0800 hrs and 1200 hrs. Due to special arrangements there will be heavy traffic movement on these roads,” the second tweet read.
In the third, the traffic police informed that due to the arrangements, “inwards movement of buses will be restricted in New Delhi beyond Gol Dak Khana Junction, Patel Chowk, Windsor Place, Teen Murti Chowk, Prithviraj Road.”
Apart from traffic personnel, the city police have also deployed security personnel from the city police as well as paramilitary armed forces in central Delhi to maintain law and order and stop protesters from marching towards the ED office from the party office, something they have attempted on three occasions last week.
“We have deployed over 300 traffic personnel to manage the vehicular movement in central Delhi and cause lesser inconvenience to the motorists, especially during the peak hours,” said a traffic police officer, who did not want to be named.
The former Congress chief was interrogated for nearly 30 hours last week (June 13-15) amid intense protests and subsequent detention of several party leaders and supporters. The leaders accused the Delhi Police of storming their party headquarters on Akbar Road and lathi-charging workers, an accusation that the police have denied.
