Ahir protest jams Delhi-Gurugram e-way

Organisers of the protest claimed more than 50,000 people, from across Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, turned up for the protest, making the crowd hard to control, following which the march was cancelled.

Commuters were stuck on the Gurgaon-Delhi Expressway and traffic spilled over to other roads on Wednesday as police diverted the routes as they tried to control a march by members of the Ahir community from Kherki Daula toll plaza to Hero Honda Chowk to press their demand for a separate regiment in the Indian Army.

Members of Ahir community protesting at NH-48 near Toll Plaza demanding ahir regiment in the indian army, in Gurugram. (HT Photo)

Organisers of the protest claimed more than 50,000 people, from across Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, turned up for the protest, making the crowd hard to control, following which the march was cancelled. The march, led by the Sanyunkt Ahir regiment Morcha, caused a traffic jam that extended for up to 6km till Hero Honda Chowk.

Commuters travelling from Rajasthan and Manesar towards Delhi between 11.30am and 5pm were the most affected. The traffic situation was back to normal by 6pm after several protesters left the site, said police.

Gurugram traffic police said they had issued advisories in advance. “We informed people about the route diversions in advance; still they took the expressway... We deployed 1,100 personnel at 20 locations to monitor traffic,” said Ravinder Singh Tomar, deputy commissioner of police (traffic).

Satish Yadav, president of Yadav Maha Sabha Haryana, said they are planning another protest in two months.