Anti-CAA protests: Traffic snarls in national capital, Delhi-Gurgaon border in gridlock

Protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act resulted in huge traffic snarls across the national capital during the morning peak hours on Thursday, while the Delhi-Gurgaon route remained in a gridlock as vehicles lined up for as long as 10 kms on the expressway connecting the two cities.

"Police have placed barricades and are checking vehicles coming from Gurgaon to Delhi due to which the traffic is affected on the stretch," the Delhi Traffic Police tweeted.

Sources said the barricading was placed after the Delhi Police got an input about a group of people from Mewat in neighbouring Haryana going towards the national capital to join protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act and against police action on the students of Jamia Millia Islamia.

With the police raising the barricades and just one lane open for checking vehicles around 8 am, many commuters took wrong side to reach their destinations and ended up occupying the service lane as well.

The barricades were removed around 4 pm, police said.

The traffic coming from Mahipalpur also got caught in the snarl.

According to a senior Gurgaon traffic police official, the traffic jam reached the Signature tower from Gurgaon side.

Nineteen IndiGo flights were cancelled and 16 others delayed as crew members were stuck in traffic jam on the NH-8 due to anti-CAA protests, a Delhi airport official said.

Four airlines -- Vistara, GoAir, Air India and IndiGo -- announced that their passengers, who are stuck in traffic due to the protests in various parts of Delhi, would be adjusted in subsequent flights at no extra costs.

Several commuters took to Twitter to express their grievances.

"Massive traffic jam in Gurgaon from Golf Course Road to Cyberhub, that's 7kms in red!! Where is the management??," one Aditya Agarwal tweeted.

Another commuter, Smita Jha, said she had to walk for four hours.

"Heavy Traffic jam on all roads in #Gurgaon ! Had to walk for 4 km to ofc," Jha tweeted.

Within the national capital, traffic was heavy in the carriageway from Delhi Gate to GPO during the day due to the protest, police said.

Traffic movement was also affected on the Subhash Marg, Peeli Kothi, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Marg, Red Fort and Old Delhi Railway Station.

Authorities tweeted regular updates on the traffic situation.

Despite prohibitory orders issued by the Delhi Police, protestors had gathered at the Red Fort and near Mandi House in large numbers. Scores of protesters were detained and taken away in buses.

None of these protests had permission from the Delhi Police to hold marches, the police added.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation closed entry and exit gates of 20 stations and later opened 18 of them. Jamia Millia Islamia and Jasola Vihar Shaheen Bagh metro staions remained closed, according to last reports.