Cong stir throws Central Delhi’s traffic out of gear
HT Correspondent
NEW DELHI: Traffic was disrupted in several parts of central Delhi on Monday as the Congress party leaders and cadre took out a rally in support of senior party leader Rahul Gandhi, who was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money-laundering case pertaining to the National Herald-ajl case.
As the workers and leaders had planned to reach the Congress headquarters on Akbar Road and then march to the ED office along with Gandhi, all roads leading to the two places were heavily barricaded and teeming with police personnel to avoid any untoward incident and to prevent a large gathering. Despite that, over 1,200 Congress leaders and party workers managed to reach the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters and more than 300 of them were detained and taken to different police stations.
Nearly 350 traffic police personnel were deployed in central Delhi to regulate and divert traffic and to ensure that the roads in Lutyens’ Delhi remained congestion free. The traffic police used social media and radio channels to disseminate information and advisories to the public regarding road blockages, said Aalap Patel, deputy commissioner of police (traffic).
Initially, the traffic police’s social media posts said road blockades and traffic restrictions were between 7am and noon. Later in the afternoon, they updated that the restrictions will continue between 5pm and 9pm.
According to the traffic police, the four major stretches completely closed to traffic were Akbar Road (from Moti Lal Nehru Marg Roundabout to C-hexagon), Janpath Road (from Claridges Roundabout to Maulana Azad Road Roundabout), and others. The Claridges roundabout, Akbar Road, Motilal Nehru Marg, Rajesh Pilot, APJ Abdul Kalam Road and Mulana Azad Road were most affected, a traffic officer said.