New Delhi: Connaught Place’s Inner Circle and Mandi House emerged as the main traffic trouble spots Friday, while much of central Delhi kept moving despite the protests over Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.By 5pm, police vehicles and buses lined both sides of Inner Circle, leaving space for just one row of vehicles to pass at some points. By 5.30pm, as protesters began marching, the entire stretch appeared to have been shut to traffic. Mandi House, especially Barakhamba Road, also saw congestion after AISA’s Neha Bora called for a Tiranga march.But unlike many protest days in the recent past, the disruption was largely limited to a few stretches in central Delhi and most roads remained relatively clear. Delhi Police imposed security restrictions following CJP’s ‘Lehra do Tiranga’ call, but the metro continued to run, giving commuters some relief during the festive rush.A person even posted, “Absolutely normal traffic at CP Outer circle. Shot the video from right outside Central Park at 5.15pm.”The areas where security remained tight included Rajiv Chowk metro station, Janpath, Baba Kharak Singh Marg, State Entry Road, Chelmsford Road, Inner Circle, KG Marg, Windsor Place, Rafi Marg, Rail Bhavan, Sunheri Masjid, C-Hexagon, Sansad Marg, Minto Road, Tolstoy Marg, Barakhamba Road flyover, Mandi House and DDU Marg.Online, however, many people vented frustration. With Durga Puja and Dussehra celebrations underway and festive shopping picking up, repeated traffic curbs have become a sore point for many. Even a family outing to CP now comes with uncertainty, they said.“We have Durga Puja in and around Connaught Place. How do we commute with family members?” one user asked on a social media platform.Another questioned why ordinary citizens had to bear the brunt of protests and repeated road restrictions, and argued that a few hundred protesters should not be able to disrupt movement across the city.One user urged city traders’ associations and shopkeepers to unite and speak out, saying repeated jams were hurting businesses and festive shopping. The user also flagged the impact on schoolchildren stuck in buses, ambulances delayed on the roads and people rushing to catch flights and trains.
