Central Delhi traffic faced widespread disruption on Saturday as police barricades and vehicle checks around Jantar Mantar and other protest-sensitive areas created congestion across major roads, while entry and exit gates at 57 metro stations were closed and mobile internet services were suspended in parts of the area.
The restrictions came into force as the Cockroach Janta Party and other groups held protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. According to the Indian Express report, security measures were imposed around Jantar Mantar and adjoining parts of the capital, affecting commuters travelling through Connaught Place, Janpath, Barakhamba Road, Ashoka Road, Sansad Marg and the India Gate-Central Secretariat corridor.
Traffic restrictions began at 6 am, with barricades and vehicle checks slowing movement on key routes. By 11.30 am, Google Maps showed more than 70 roadblock markers across Central Delhi, with red traffic lines indicating slow-moving or heavily congested stretches. The congestion was concentrated around roads leading towards Jantar Mantar and major junctions in the central business and administrative districts.
Commuters reported delays as vehicles moved slowly through affected stretches. The disruption was uneven, with some roads showing heavy congestion while traffic moved more freely on others. Routes connecting Connaught Place, Janpath, India Gate and the Central Secretariat were among those affected by the restrictions and security checks.
The road restrictions were accompanied by public transport and communications measures. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation had announced that entry and exit gates at 57 stations would remain closed from 9 pm on Friday until the situation normalised on Saturday. The station closures affected access to parts of the central Delhi network, although the source report did not state that train services across the entire network had been suspended.
A 24-hour suspension of mobile internet services in parts of Central Delhi also began at 10 pm on Friday. The measure was introduced alongside the security arrangements around the protest areas and was scheduled to remain in effect while the restrictions were in force.
The scale of the disruption highlights how security management around a concentrated protest zone can quickly affect several layers of Delhi’s transport system. Jantar Mantar sits close to Connaught Place, government offices, arterial roads and multiple metro connections, making restrictions in the area consequential for through-traffic as well as people travelling directly to the protest site.
The Delhi Traffic Police said the restrictions would be reviewed on the basis of real-time assessments. According to PTI reports cited by the Indian Express, the measures could be relaxed or tightened depending on the law-and-order situation. The timing for restoring normal road movement, reopening the affected metro gates and ending the mobile internet suspension was not specified in the report.
