Connaught Place was largely deserted on Friday evening ahead of the Cockroach Janta Party’s Tiranga March at Central Park, with several shops and restaurants shut, security personnel deployed and traders and transport workers reporting sharp losses in earnings.
Less than 30 minutes before the scheduled march, Rapid Action Force personnel and Delhi Police officers were stationed near Central Park, while Central Industrial Security Force personnel made occasional rounds inside Connaught Place’s inner circle. Buses occupied one side of the road and barricades narrowed the other, although vehicular movement was still allowed at the time.
Central Park was closed for Friday and the following day. White banners at the entrance stated that no entry would be allowed and warned that legal action would be taken against anyone entering the park.
The disruption was immediately visible in the market. Kapil Nath, 42, who has run a Woodland store in Connaught Place for more than four decades, said only protesters, shopkeepers, media personnel and police were present, with no customers coming in. He said October, November and December typically account for 70% of his business because of winter shopping, weddings and festivals.
Nath said he had opened his store but might have to shut it if the protest intensified, citing concerns about taking care of staff and ensuring that employees could enter and leave safely. At another footwear shop, Nirmal Kumar said he had been uncertain until Friday morning whether to open and had not received a single customer by the afternoon.
Kumar also linked the current disruption to earlier restrictions in the area. He said the situation had affected businesses since August, when the internet was shut, making it difficult for people to make payments. The report did not specify the circumstances or duration of those earlier restrictions.
The effect extended beyond retail. Umesh Sharma, a 52-year-old auto-rickshaw driver from Laxmi Nagar, said he had earned only Rs 100 by the afternoon after spending Rs 500 on CNG. With fewer people reaching Connaught Place, he said there were fewer passengers to ferry.
The few people moving through the market included office employees taking post-lunch walks and groups of students. Near Palika Bazaar, some visitors were trying to determine when the march would begin, with uncertainty over whether it was scheduled for 3 pm or 5 pm.
The deployment and barricading indicated that authorities were preparing for a larger gathering and possible restrictions on movement. At the time of the report, vehicles were still being allowed through, although many people in the market expected movement to stop as the march approached. The scheduled programme was to take place at Central Park, which remained closed to the public for two days.
