More than 70 roadblocks turn Central Delhi red on Google Maps amid CJP protest

More than 70 roadblocks turned Central Delhi red on Google Maps on Saturday (October 10) amid the ongoing CJP protest against Gyanesh Kumar, demanding his resignation from the post of Chief Election Commissioner. Commuters across Central Delhi experienced heavy traffic snarls after police launched stringent security around Jantar Mantar and other parts of Delhi.

Traffic restrictions took effect across Delhi from 6 am, with barricades and vehicle checks on major routes slowing movement considerably and leading to long queues on several busy stretches. Google Maps' traffic view reflected this disruption clearly, showing widespread congestion across central Delhi roads, with lines marked in red showing slow-moving traffic throughout the region.

Worst disrupted routes

The worst of the disruption was visible around Connaught Place, Janpath, Jantar Mantar and nearby routes, with congestion also spilling over into roads connecting the broader Central Delhi area. Barakhamba Road, Janpath, Ashoka Road and Sansad Marg all appeared affected, as did routes leading toward India Gate and the Central Secretariat. While traffic crawled to a halt in some areas, vehicles managed to move more freely in others.

Congestion remained particularly concentrated around major junctions and roads leading to Jantar Mantar, a direct result of the security checks and restrictions enforced near the protest site. Commuters travelling through Connaught Place, Janpath, Barakhamba Road, and the India Gate–Central Secretariat corridor bore the brunt of the delays, with traffic inching along at a snail’s pace through these stretches.

These security measures were accompanied by additional restrictions on public transport and mobile internet access. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation announced that entry and exit gates at 57 stations would remain shut from 9 pm on Friday until conditions returned to normal on Saturday. Separately, mobile internet services across parts of central Delhi were suspended for 24 hours starting at 10 pm on Friday.