Delhi a hub of protests: Time to free Delhiites of frequent inconveniences?

Delhi and its borders have been a hub of the farmers’ protests, since they started on November 26, 2020. Delhiites and the residents of NCR region have experienced a continued disruption in their daily lives due to barricading, blocked roads, diverted routes and traffic. Is it high time that Delhi should be emancipated from the continued hindrances?

Farmers protesting against the Centre’s three new farm laws have called for a nationwide three-hour ‘Chakka jam’, or road blockade, between noon and 3 PM today. Barring Delhi, the blockade will take place in other parts of the National Capital Region, and the rest of country. In view of the nationwide ‘Chakka Jam’, the Delhi Police has strengthened security arrangements at all border points in the national capital.

The police have erected multi-layer barricades to stop the movement of vehicles at the Ghazipur border. Barbed wires have also been put up to keep off people on foot. The entry and exit points of Delhi’s Lal Quila, Jama Masjid, Janpath and Central Secretariat metro stations have been closed ahead of the ‘Chakka Jam’ protest, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) announced. With this, the DMRC has closed 10 metro stations in the National Capital so far. The gates of Mandi House, ITO, Delhi Gate, and Vishwavidyalaya stations were also sealed earlier today.

Police personnel have been deployed at strategic locations such as Road number 56, NH-24, Vikas Marg, GT Road, Jirabad Road, since it’s a call for nation-wide ‘chakka-jam’. Barricading has been done in a way that there is no intrusion in Delhi, said Alok Kumar, Joint CP, Delhi Police. Around 50,000 personnel of Delhi Police, paramilitary and reserve forces have been deployed in the Delhi-NCR region and borders.

Also read: Kisan Union all-set for ‘Chakka Jam’ across states: 12 Metro stations on alert; police monitor all checkpoints

Amid the heightened security, the Delhi police has deployed drone cameras to monitor the situation during the farmers’ Chakka Jam protest. These drones hovering over the Tikri border area, where farmers have been protesting against the Centre’s farm laws for the last few months.

Delhi and its borders, being the National Capital has been the hub of the farmers’ protests and these protests have led to regular and frequent inconveniences for the residents of the city and NCR region. Due to the protests, there have been regular road blockages, route diversions leading to traffic and barricading across Delhi-NCR which have caused disruption in the residents’ daily lives, since the protest started in November.

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