New Delhi: Connaught Place, one of the capital’s busiest commercial hubs, and the Janpath area bore the brunt of the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) “Chalo Sansad” protest Monday as thousands of demonstrators poured into the area and allegedly pelted stones at security personnel and damaged multiple vehicles of the security forces.
The protesters gathered in and around Central Park and spread across the Inner Circle and Outer Circle areas of Connaught Place after being stopped from marching towards Parliament, turning the commercial hub into one of the main flashpoints of the day.
Police sources said at least three to four vehicles belonging to security forces were damaged during the violence. The vehicles suffered broken windshields and shattered windows after being targeted by stone-pelting protesters, they said.
As the crowd swelled, security personnel repeatedly appealed to shoppers and visitors to leave the area.
Personnel deployed across Connaught Place were seen requesting families, tourists and other members of the public to vacate the market and move to safer locations as a precautionary measure.
Several videos of the violence surfaced on social media during the day, purportedly showing protesters damaging vehicles, pelting stones at security personnel and attempting to breach barricades. Other videos showed security personnel firing tear gas to disperse the crowd after the situation escalated.
Police sources said all the viral videos were being examined and appropriate legal action would be taken after verifying their authenticity and identifying those involved.
The standoff disrupted normal activity across Connaught Place, with several shops pulling down shutters while many visitors hurriedly left the area amid the commotion.
Heavy deployment of Delhi Police and paramilitary personnel was seen across the commercial hub, with additional reinforcements rushed in as protesters regrouped at different points after being dispersed.
Roads around Connaught Place witnessed severe traffic snarls as police erected barricades and diverted vehicles to prevent protesters from moving towards Parliament and other high-security installations.
The violence in Connaught Place came as thousands of CJP supporters attempted to march towards Parliament despite prohibitory orders in force in the New Delhi district.
Security remained heightened across the area till late evening, with police maintaining a strong presence at Central Park, the Inner Circle and adjoining roads to prevent any fresh protest.
Police also said that protesters damaged four vehicles, a petrol pump and glass windows of a shop in the Janpath area too.
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