Monday rush on Sunday noon

All plans of a relaxed Sunday outing for many Delhiites ended in chaos due to the Congress rally in which 60,000 supporters participated.

All plans of a relaxed Sunday outing for many Delhiites ended in chaos due to the Congress rally in which 60,000 supporters participated.

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More than 1,500 police and 100-odd traffic personnel failed to manage the chaos that spilled on to the Capital’s roads, especially in central and old Delhi. Police said serpentine queues of around 2,000 buses that brought about 60,000 Congress supporters — 45,000 made it to Ramlila Maidan — from Rajasthan, Haryana, UP and other areas led to huge traffic jams.

The situation worsened after the rally as the buses started moving back to pick up people. Roads around the venue and those leading to the nearby bus terminals and railway stations were the worst affected.

“There was unprecedented rush in the Metro. It looked like Monday peak hour rush,” said Prateek Routela, a Dwarka resident.

On Vikas Marg, it took more than 30 minutes for commuters to cross the less than one-km from Yamuna Bridge. Police also had a tough time regulating traffic on a Sunday.

The Ring Road from Sarai Kale Khan to Raj Ghat and NH-24 was also choc-a-bloc.