‘Hours of traffic jams’: Petitioner moves Delhi High Court seeking opening of Kalindi Kunj-Shaheen Bagh stretch

Road Number 13A is closed since December 15, 2019, due to ongoing protest against CAA and NRC.

A plea has been filed in the Delhi High Court seeking directions to the authorities to withdraw the closure of Kalindi Kunj-Shaheen Bagh Stretch (Road No. 13 A) as well as Okhla underpass, which are closed since December 15, 2019, due to ongoing protests against Citizen Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizen (NRC).

Residents of Sarita Vihar, Molarband, Badarpur and nearby areas are seen during a protest against the ongoing anti-CAA agitation in Shaheen Bagh, on Sunday. (HT Photo)

The plea which was urgently mentioned before a bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar by lawyer and social activist Amit Sahni, said that the closure has been extended many times, causing huge inconvenience to the lakhs of commuters everyday, who are compelled to take different route for nearly one month now.

The plea is likely to come up for hearing on Tuesday.

“Several lakh commuters using the aforesaid road are forced to use alternative routes Delhi-Noida-Delhi (DND) Expressway and Ashram, which not only results in brunt of hours of traffic jams but wastage of fuel and precious time also,” the petitioner said.

The petition also said that due to the inconvenience, not only the office goers, but children are also facing problems and are compelled to leave home two hours before school time.

While hundreds have been gathering at Shaheen Bagh every day, protesters attributed the increase in numbers on Sunday to the weekend and interfaith prayers held at the spot. Apart from readings from the Bible and the Quran, the prayer meeting, which went on for about two hours, also saw Hindu priests performing rituals.

A few kilometres away, demonstrators carried out a protest march in the morning from Madanpur Khadar to Sarita Vihar against the agitation at Shaheen Bagh which has led to closure of Road 13A.