Congress protest against PM remarks leads to massive traffic jam in south Mumbai

According to officials, local police stations in south Mumbai started nakabandi after the personnel were informed that a large number of Congress workers were heading to the residence of Fadnavnis to protest.

“Two nakabandis were set up at Cadbury junction and Girgaon band stand to ensure that Congress workers do not gather outside his house because a law and order situation would have erupted as the BJP had planned to retaliate and their leaders too had started calling their workers from across Mumbai,” said a senior IPS officer. He further added that due to the situation, Nana Patole, who was to lead the protest march, was restrained from stepping out of his bungalow.

The authorities said that during the nakabandi, they had started checking every vehicle to identify Congress workers and subsequently detain them.

Mumbai police spokesperson said a total of 86 workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and 42 of the Congress were detained under sections 68 (Persons bound to conform to reasonable orders of Police) and 69 (Power of Police officers to restrain or remove, etc.) of the Maharashtra Police Act and they were released later.

A female BJP worker was arrested by the Malabar Hill police for allegedly attacking a woman constable. “During the protest, she bit one of the policemen due to which she was held,” said an officer.

An official said the process to detain workers took time due to which traffic snarls were reported. “If we had not taken such a preventive measure, the matter would have gone out of our hands,” said an officer.

As vehicular movement got paralysed, Mumbai Police put out a tweet to alert people. “Traffic on Pedder Road and Girgaon Chowpatty towards south Mumbai has been affected due to the gathering of protesters at Girgaon Band Stand. You are requested to take an alternative route #TrafficUpdates,” the Mumbai police tweet read.

“Later as they were not allowed to move forward, the agitators gathered and sat at Girgaon band stand junction, which caused traffic on the Pedder and the backlog went up to Kemps Corner, Warden Road, Nepeansea Road and Haji Ali. Initially we tried using a diversion, but due to heavy traffic movement on a Monday morning, it led to congestion at alternate routes as well,” said an officer.

People stuck in the traffic took to Twitter to complain about the situation. Dr Tejas Kothari tweeted, “@BJP4Mumbai @INCMumbai why are you harassing citizens with your protests? Mumbai traffic is a nightmare today. #MumbaiTraffic our kids are stuck in schools or in cars while returning home and can’t eat or use restrooms. #shameonyou @MumbaiPolice when will this sort out?”

Sarthak Rastogi, who seemed unaware of the cause of the situation, tweeted, “Horrible traffic in south Mumbai.. What’s happening?”

Another Twitter user, Dinesh Joshi, said, “Ambulances are not getting way. Police is trying their best but something needs to be done to ease the south Mumbai traffic. Kemps Corner, Nepeansea Road, Charni Road to Sukh Sagar, Chowpatty, Marine Drive and all other roads jammed.”

The protests were called off around 1pm.

Mumbai Congress chief Bhai Jagtap said the agitation was called off as Mumbaikars were facing hardships. “I protested at Walkeshwar. But our state chief Nana Patole was detained outside his bungalow. We were protesting as PM Narendra Modi insulted Mumbaikars as he said that they spread Covid-19. I saw one ambulance facing difficulty. We decided to call off the agitation. I apologise to Mumbaikars.”

The traffic in south Mumbai was restored by 1.30pm.