Protests, human chain choke central Kolkata
Times of India | 16 October 2024Pre-announced curbs were already in place due to the puja carnival.
The events forced Kolkata Police to shut down traffic on major roads, including S N Banerjee Road, Dorina crossing and portions of J L Nehru Road and Strand Road apart from Red Road, Queens Way, Mayo Road, Casuarina Avenue, Dufferin Road, portions of Kidderpore and Hospital Road which were previously shut to facilitate puja carnival.
The ripple effects had further slowed traffic along Lenin Sarani, Old Court House Street, Esplanade East Road, C R Avenue, APC Road and AJC Bose Road till late in the evening as cops desperately started diverting north-bound traffic from south Kolkata along Bypass. Metro too choked under pressure as a large number of people stranded on the road rushed underground.
TOI saw multiple men and women walking along S N Banerjee Road with trolley bags heading towards Esplanade. Such was the chaos at Esplanade that some motorists returning from office were engaged in a tiff with protesters after the latter sat on the road, blocking all lanes.
