Delhi Police barricades erected ahead of a protest in Central Delhi prevented several daily-wage, construction, service and gig workers from reaching their workplaces on Saturday, costing some of them a day’s income, according to on-ground accounts reported by The Hindu.
Security forces placed multiple layers of barricades on roads leading to Central Delhi ahead of a protest demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation. Police personnel at several points reportedly allowed mainly people carrying government identity cards to proceed.
Around 9.30 a.m., Ram Kishan Mandal, 36, was stopped while travelling to a construction site near India Gate. He told The Hindu that police personnel said workers needed a permit to proceed. Although his employer asked him to walk to the site, he said he was still not allowed through.
Mr. Mandal, who is from Katihar district in Bihar, said his house had been destroyed in a recent flood and that his wife and children were living under a tarpaulin roof. He said losing a day’s work would affect his ability to rebuild the house and support his family.
Workers approaching Central Delhi from the Nizamuddin side also reported being turned away. One worker said his construction site was located just across a flyover, about 50 metres from the barricade, but police did not allow him to reach it.
Mukesh Chauhan, 47, an electrician travelling to a work site on his motorbike, said he earned about ₹9,000 a month and would not be paid if he missed work. He also said he had already spent around ₹100 on petrol for the journey. Devender Chauhan, 41, said he and his wife were stopped while travelling to their workplaces in Central Delhi. His wife worked at a cafe, while he was responsible for opening an advertising company’s shop in Khan Market.
After several requests, a police officer allowed Devender Chauhan’s wife to walk roughly two kilometres to her workplace. Mr. Chauhan said other routes were also closed and that workers had previously faced similar restrictions during an earlier protest when Khan Market was barricaded.
The disruption extended beyond construction workers. The accounts reported by The Hindu included employees required to open shops and cafe workers travelling in uniform. For workers paid by the day, the restrictions meant that access to a workplace located close to a barricade could still depend on documentation or police permission.
P.V. Aniyan, secretary of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions in Delhi, said daily-wage and gig workers in Central Delhi and nearby areas were among those most affected by the security restrictions. He said their one day’s earnings had been affected and that the government should consider the consequences before enforcing such a blockade in Delhi.
The barricades were put in place as part of security arrangements for the protest. The reported incidents highlight the immediate operational impact of restricting movement through employment districts, with workers unable to reach sites, shops and service establishments despite having scheduled work. The security arrangements remained in force during the morning as police controlled access to Central Delhi.
