Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification: Congress protest march chokes old Ludhiana areas
The traffic police had started placing diversions from 10 am onwards to reduce the traffic flow towards the Clock Tower and godown area of the railway station in Ludhiana from where the march started
Choked roads and diversions were the order of the day for commuters in the old city areas during the peak hours of Wednesday as Congress leaders from Ludhiana carried out a march protesting against party leader Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification from the Parliament.
The protest march was carried through the congested lanes housing the city’s prominent and old markets which witness a heavy footfall of customers and traders from nearby towns. Supposed to start at 10 am, the march started after a delay at 12:30 pm. Teams of police, including anti-riot units, were also stationed for security.
A number of Congress workers, including youth, took out the march carrying placards and flags. Senior Congress leaders, including Raja Warring, Partap Singh Bajwa, and Harish Chaudhary, also took part in the march.
The traffic police had started placing diversions from 10 am onwards to reduce the traffic flow towards the Clock Tower and godown area of the railway station from where the march started. The ripple effect of the diversions also increased traffic on alternative roads.
Before the march commenced, traffic police teams were tasked to clear out the markets of vendors, while the shop owners were directed to remove the products that had been put on display outside citing security reasons.
As the road between Clock Tower and Division no 3 remained blocked for around an hour, commuters were stuck in different markets, including Books Market, Chaura Bazar, Pindi Street, Girja Ghar chowk and Meena Bazaar.
Stuck in the traffic near the Girja Ghar Chowk along with her daughter, Manisha Sharma said, “I usually avoid coming through this route due to congestion and massive traffic, but the march has worsened the situation.”
A trader from Hoshiarpur, Naveen Sharma said that he had come to buy electrical goods and parked his car in the parking lot, but as the road had been taken over by the march, he was left in the lurch.
He said that it would have been better if people were informed about it earlier.
A senior police officer said that as the march was scheduled in the peak hours and was taken through the market, traffic police had to put in extra effort. He added that as the locals cooperated with the administration, police were able to handle the situation.
