Karbala protests: Police to shut down NH-24 today

Anticipating huge protests by a religious group which will be marching from Uttar Pradesh towards Delhi on Monday, National Highway (NH)-24 will remain close from 6 in the morning, the Delhi Traffic police press advisory said.

Anticipating protests by a religious group that will be marching from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi on Monday, National Highway (NH)-24 will remain closed from 6am, said a Delhi Traffic Police press advisory.

Both carriageways on NH-24, from the Ghazipur flyover to the Ghaziabad border, will be closed on Monday for all types of vehicles.

The step has been taken following a Delhi high court order that restrains a Shia Muslim group, Anjuman-e-Haideri, from holding protests at the Karbala near Jor Bagh in south Delhi on March 31. The site of the protest is under legal dispute.

On March 11, a similar protest was staged at Ghazipur near the Delhi-UP border to participate in which scores of people belonging to the Shia community came in over 50 buses and were stopped from moving ahead by police.

Enraged by the police action, the agitated protesters damaged several vehicles and set a couple of them on fire. Some people were injured after a clash broke out between police and protesters.

Commuters had a harrowing time after the protesters blocked traffic on NH-24 for over seven hours.

Additional commissioner of police (traffic) Anil Shukla said, "Advisory traffic signages at appropriate locations have been placed to guide motorists, and adequate traffic staff has been deployed to ensure smooth and uninterrupted flow of traffic. Motorists are advised to follow the diversions and obey instructions of the traffic policemen."