New Delhi: Stringent traffic restrictions remained in force across several parts of Delhi Sunday for a second consecutive day as the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) renewed its call for protests demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
According to a Delhi Traffic Police advisory, diversions were enforced from 6 am, with traffic movement to be affected around Jantar Mantar, Connaught Place, Mandi House, Patel Chowk and several other key intersections in Lutyens’ Delhi.
The restrictions come amid a security clampdown following announcement by CJP and prominent student organisations, including the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) that protests would continue until their demands were met.
The affected stretches include the Ashoka Road-Jantar Mantar Road roundabout, Tolstoy Marg-Janpath crossing, Jai Singh Road-Sansad Marg crossing, Rail Bhawan roundabout, Patel Chowk, Gol Dak Khana and several intersections around Connaught Place.
Traffic movement is also likely to be affected at Mandi House, the Minto Road-Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg junction, the Lodhi Road flyover, Neela Gumbad roundabout, the Samrat Hotel roundabout, the Sardar Patel Marg-Panchsheel Marg crossing and the underpasses beneath the Bhikaji Cama Place and Moti Bagh flyovers.
At a press conference at HKS Surjeet Bhawan Saturday, CJP leader Ajinkya Shinde said marches to Jantar Mantar would be held daily until Kumar was removed as chief election commissioner.
Shinde also alleged that protesters, including Abhijeet Dipke, had been subjected to inhumane treatment by the Delhi Police during detention.
Police said on Sunday that CJP leaders Dipke, Ranka and Das have been placed under preventive arrest and will be produced before the Executive Magistrate at Delhi Cantt Police Station Sunday.
SFI general secretary Srijan Bhattacharyya said students would hold peaceful demonstrations and that places where police barricades stopped them would become their protest sites.
The traffic police have advised commuters to avoid non-essential travel and set aside additional time for journeys to railway stations, inter-state bus terminals and the airport, particularly when travelling through New Delhi and central Delhi.
It said restrictions would be regulated or relaxed based on real-time assessments of the situation and urged commuters to follow updates on its official website and social media platforms.