BJP's 'chakka jam' against AAP govt's excise policy leads to traffic woes

Delhi BJP workers staged a "chakka jam" protest against the city government's new excise policy on Monday and blocked roads at different locations in the national capital, leading to traffic snarls at important stretches including at the ITO, near the Akshardham temple and on the Ring Road.

The Delhi Police said 10 BJP workers, including Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta, were detained briefly, but were released after traffic was restored.

Pictures circulating on social media showed tyres of Delhi Transport Corporation buses deflated allegedly by protesters.

Reacting to the protest, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said BJP leaders are "rattled" as the new excise policy aims to curb illegal liquor sale.

The protest near the Akshardham temple was led by Gupta.

"The Delhi government is opening liquor shops illegally across the city under its new excise policy. Shops are being opened near residential and religious places. Our protest will continue until the policy is rolled back," the Delhi BJP president told reporters.

He said liquor shops will not be allowed to operate near religious places, schools and residential areas.

Senior Delhi BJP leader Kuljeet Chahal led the protest at ITO.

Sisodia said BJP leaders are "rattled" with the new excise policy as the Arvind Kejriwal government has "stopped the theft" of Rs 3,500 crore (that used to come through illegal sale of liquor).

"Now this money is going to the government to carry out public welfare work. Earlier, this money used to go to BJP leaders and the liquor mafia," the deputy chief minister said in a tweet in Hindi.

Responding to this, Gupta alleged that the Arvind Kejriwal government has opened these shops bypassing all rules in non-conforming zones, near religious places, schools and in residential areas.

"Schools, hospitals and roads are in a bad shape, but Kejriwal is busy in political tourism and serving liquor," he claimed.

Commuters had a harrowing time due to the traffic snarls caused by the protest at important road stretches.

Key roads that were affected include the ITO crossing, Vikas Marg from Laxmi Nagar to ITO, the road near Akshardham temple, National Highway 24, Noida-Delhi Link Road, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, Mother Dairy Road and the Signature Bridge road.

A commuter, who was stuck on NH-24, said, "There is heavy traffic jam on NH-24. Most of the roads are blocked by the protesters and it is causing inconvenience to people like us who need to reach office on time."

Asked about the commuters facing trouble due to the protest, Gupta claimed that it is a public movement and that people are ready to bear with it in order to get rid of the new excise policy of the AAP government.

Despite instructions not to damage public property, pictures circulated on social media showed tyres of Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses deflated allegedly by protesters.

DTC Karmachari Ekta Union general secretary Manoj Sharma claimed BJP workers deflated tyres of several DTC buses at different locations in the city.

"Tyres of at least 25-30 DTC buses were deflated by BJP protesters at many locations like ITO, Kashmere Gate ISBT, Patel Nagar golchakkar, Sarai Kale Khan, Kakrola Mor. Commuters had to alight from these buses and look for other alternatives," he claimed.

Delhi BJP general secretary Harsh Malhotra said although his party called for the 'chakka jam', some mischievous elements joined the protest and indulged in vandalism.

"The BJP's purpose behind the 'chakka jam' was pious, but if some people faced problems due to it, we regret that," he said.

The traffic snarls made people turn to Delhi Metro, leading to a huge rush at the metro stations in the morning office hours.

"No autorickshaws or cabs were available, and there were huge queues outside the metro stations. There were coaches with many passengers standing," said another commuter.

Among those detained in connection with the protest were Delhi BJP president Gupta, Delhi BJP media in-charge Naveen Kumar Jindal, Bipin Bihar Singh and Lata Gupta.

"Ten BJP workers including the party's Delhi unit president Adesh Gupta was detained along with others. They were taken to the Pandav Nagar police station and were released after traffic movement was restored," a senior police officer said.

The police said no FIR has been registered.

The "chakka jam" protest was conducted at 15 locations, including near the Akshardham flyover, at the Car Bazar at Vikas Marg, NH-24, Dayaram Chowk, ITO, Ring Road, near the Signature Bridge and Civil Lines.

The protesters raised slogans against the city government and its new excise policy.

Later, in a statement, Delhi BJP president Gupta said that Kejriwal had himself written in his book 'Swaraj' that a liquor shop cannot be opened in any area without local leaders or officials being bribed.

"So (Manish) Sisodia should tell how much money he has thus taken along with his CM. Delhiites elected him (Kejriwal) to give clean water, improve basic facilities like sewer, roads, power supply and a pollution-free city, not for equal distribution of liquor shops in Delhi," Gupta said.

Referring to a tweet by the AAP, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari said, At last the AAP has admitted that the Kejriwal government is indulging in annual theft of Rs 3,000-4,000 crores. It is because maximum liquor is sold through government agency DSIIDC's shops."

"In such a case, Kejriwal should tell us where the amount of Rs 24,500 crore collected in the name of revenue in the past seven years has gone. The Kejriwal government is now indulging in corruption of crores of rupees in liquor sale," Tiwari alleged in the statement.