VHP stir disrupts traffic

The protestors blocked the capital’s roads from 8 am to 11 am bringing traffic to a standstill, reports Abhishek Bhalla.

Motorists were caught in major traffic snarls across the city during Wednesday’s morning peak hours, as Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) activists came on to the streets protesting against the government’s decision to demolish a part of the ancient Ram Setu ridge off the country’s southern coast.

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The VHP activists called for a chakka jam to protest the government’s decision.

The protestors blocked the capital’s roads from 8 am to 11 am bringing traffic to a standstill. The traffic police said the worst affected areas were parts of east Delhi. Vehicles lined up in long queues for hours at ITO, Vikas Marg, connecting Ghaziabad and Delhi. Parts of south Delhi were also hit, while there was traffic congestion even in Connaught Place even after roads were opened up for traffic.

While there was no violence reported, police said around 2,000 people had been detained in connection with the protests from different parts of the city.

Traffic also came to a halt on highways connecting Delhi to other states, including major jams on NH 24, connecting Ghaziabad, NH 2 connecting Faridabad and on the GT Road.

The police said even though the traffic eased at 11 am, the blockades had a cascading affect leaving motorists stranded on the roads even after that. “Whenever traffic is stopped even for five minutes it is bound to be disrupted. A short blockage on the road can have a rippling effect and traffic can be thrown out of gear,” said a senior traffic police officer.