Traffic restrictions will continue for a second consecutive day on Sunday in view of the law and order situation surrounding the Cockroach Janta Party’s fresh call for protest demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, with diversions likely at 30 key points across Delhi.
According to an advisory issued by the Delhi Traffic Police late Saturday, diversions will be enforced from 6 am on Sunday, depending on the prevailing situation, and traffic movement may be affected around Jantar Mantar, Connaught Place, Mandi House, Patel Chowk and several other intersections in Central Delhi.
The restrictions come after CJP and prominent student organisations, including the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), announced that protests would continue until their demands were met.
At a press conference at HKS Surjeet Bhawan on Saturday, CJP leader Ajinkya Shinde said marches to Jantar Mantar would be held daily until Kumar was removed from the post of chief election commissioner.
He also alleged that protesters, including Abhijeet Dipke, had been subjected to inhumane treatment by Delhi Police during detention.
SFI general secretary Srijan Bhattacharyya said students would hold peaceful demonstrations and that places where they were stopped by police barricades would become their protest sites.
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 may also 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.
Commuters have been advised to avoid non-essential travel and allow extra time while travelling to railway stations, inter-state bus terminals and the airport through New Delhi and Central Delhi.
The traffic police said restrictions would be regulated or relaxed based on real-time assessments of the situation and urged commuters to follow updates through its official website and social media platforms.