Delhi: Pollution, pooja and protests take toll on traffic

New Delhi: Chhath festivities, smog-filled air and protest by Jawaharlal Nehru University students over the missing student led to traffic snarls in the city on Monday. [caption id=“attachment_3092318” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. AFP[/caption] Tight security was in place in Lutyens Delhi amid reports of protest by Jawaharlal Nehru University students over the missing of Najeeb Ahmed. Security personnel were posted around the roads leading to India Gate and traffic restrictions and diversions were put in place in anticipation of the protest, police said. C Hexagon was closed for traffic movement, they said. As students were detained around 5 pm while marching towards India Gate, traffic snarls were observed in the area. Amid accusations of manhandling of students and missing Najeeb’s mother, Dependra Pathak, Delhi Police spokesperson and joint commissioner of police (Southwest) said, “We took all the precautions. Najeeb’s mother was not manhandled by our cops. When police were making the protesters sit inside buses, she lied down on the road. Our female officers waited for a while and tried to explain to her, but then they picked her up to ensure that she was not trampled in the crowd.” The protesting students were taken to Mandir Marg police station. Mandir Marg was closed for a couple of hours as many students stood outside the police station, said a traffic police officer. 27-year-old Najeeb Ahmed, a student of School of Biotechnology and a native of Badaun in Uttar Pradesh, went missing on 15 October following an on-campus scuffle allegedly with the members of ABVP the night before. Traffic was also affected in the city due to Chhath Puja celebrations and poor visibility over smog. Heavy traffic was observed between Chandgi Ram Akhada and ISBT, Kalindi Kunj and Noida due to Chhath Puja, the traffic police officer added.