Traffic disrupted in Central Delhi as AAP, BJP protest. Routes you should avoid

Traffic movement was affected on the DDU Marg and roads leading to it, with long jams witnessed at the ITO, a major intersection of the city.

Commuters in Central Delhi faced major disruptions as traffic movement was restricted on Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg due to ongoing demonstrations by AAP and BJP workers. The traffic congestion has spilt onto adjacent routes, including Vikas Marg, IP Marg, Minto Road, and JLN Marg, prompting authorities to advise commuters to seek alternative routes.

Delhi Police and paramilitary forces at the AAP protest site. (HT PHOTO)

“Movement of traffic is restricted on DDU Marg due to demonstration. Traffic is heavy on Vikas Marg, IP Marg, Minto road, JLN Marg and nearby areas due to diversion of traffic. Commuters are advised to avoid these stretches,” Delhi Traffic Police said in a post.

The heightened security measures in Central Delhi are in response to protests organised by both the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The demonstrations, taking place near the headquarters of both political parties on Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg, have led to the closure of roads leading to the area since morning. With barricades put up in several areas in Central Delhi, other roads too saw bumper-to-bumper traffic.

While the AAP had planned to stage a protest outside BJP headquarters over alleged cheating in the Chandigarh mayoral polls, the BJP said it would protest near the AAP office against the "corruption" in the Arvind Kejriwal government.

The headquarters of both parties are on the Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg and the distance between them is less than a few hundred metres. Multi-layered barricades have been set up near the BJP and AAP offices to manage the protests.

Addressing AAP workers at the party office, Kejriwal said if BJP can "rig" the Chandigarh mayoral polls, it could go to any extent in assembly and Lok Sabha elections.

"In the last few years, we had heard that BJP rigs polls. They tamper with EVMs, get names of voters deleted from voter lists, but never was any evidence found. They were caught red-handed in Chandigarh stealing votes," he alleged.

"If they can indulge in such irregularities in the Chandigarh mayoral polls, what would they be doing in Lok Sabha and assembly elections. They can sell the country for power but we will not allow them to do it. We have to save democracy and country," he said.

Kejriwal, meanwhile, skipped the fifth summons by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in an alleged money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy.

BJP MP Parvesh Sahib Singh said, “Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal is making fun of the Constitution. He should know that he is too a part of the Constitution. Him not attending ED summons is a sign that he is involved in the crime and he knows that every evidence is against him.”