Heavy traffic in Delhi as AAP protests against CBI summons to Kejriwal

Heavy traffic snarls were witnessed on Sunday in several parts of Delhi following protests by AAP workers against the summoning of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the CBI in the excise policy case.

Vehicular movement was choked at the protest sites of Anand Vihar Terminal, ITO Chowk, Mukarba Chowk Peera Garhi Chowk, Lado Sarai Chowk, Crown Plaza Chowk, Dwarka More Sec 6 and Sec 2 Chauraha, Pecific Wala Chowk Subhash Nagar More, Prem Wari Chauraha Ring Road, New Delhi Railway Station Ajmeri Gate Side, Bara Hanuman Mandir, Karol Bagh Chowk, IIT Crossing, ISBT Kashmiri Gate, Raj Ghat and NH 24 near Murga Mandi Gazipur.

Serpentine queues of vehicles clogged the roads owing to the protest.

Commuters stuck because of the protests at NH-44 and GT-Karnal Road tweeted pictures that showed long queues of vehicles.

Moving at a snail's pace in bumper-to-bumper traffic, many commuters tagged the police in their social media posts and requested them to manage the situation.

Police officials, along with the traffic unit deployed at multiple locations, persuaded the protesters to move from the roads and allow vehiclular movement to flow.

"We have deployed sufficient force at these locations. But the protesters are on a sit-in, so we are persuading them to move because they are causing heavy traffic jams. If they are refusing to cooperate, we are removing them from the spot," a senior police official said.

The Delhi Police stepped up security outside the CBI headquarters as Kejriwal appeared before the agency for questioning in connection with alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped excise policy, officials said.

The force has deployed over 1,000 security personnel, including paramilitary forces, outside the CBI headquarters and Section 144 has also been imposed in the area to ensure no gathering of more than four persons takes place, they said.

Security has also been tightened outside the AAP office at Rouse Avenue, the officials added.

Adequate number of barricades have been placed on the streets at both these places to ensure that AAP workers and supporters do not create any trouble, a senior police official said.

The CBI has summoned Kejriwal to its office to answer questions of the investigation team as a witness in the excise policy case, according to a notice issued by the agency.

Manish Sisodia, Kejriwal's former deputy in the Delhi government, was arrested last month in the case.

The AAP has called the case a conspiracy against its leaders.

CBI officials have said they asked Kejriwal to appear on a Sunday as the offices in the area remain closed.

The agency adopted the same strategy when Sisodia was called to the agency headquarters, where he was grilled for eight hours before being taken into custody.

The allegations relate to the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22. The CBI is probing into allegations of bribes paid by liquor traders to get licences.

The AAP has strongly refuted these charges but its government later scrapped the policy.

It was further alleged that irregularities, including modifications in the excise policy, extending undue favours to the licensees, waiver/reduction in licence fee, the extension of L-1 licence without approval, etc were committed, a CBI spokesperson said after the FIR was filed on August 17, 2022.

The CBI filed its charge sheet against seven accused on November 25.

It alleged in the charge sheet that the excise policy was framed in a manner to promote cartelisation and monopoly at the wholesale level.