A stretch of Shaheen Bagh Road Number 9, from Abul Fazal Enclave to Kalindi Kunj Junction, was opened by a section of the anti-CAA protesters on Saturday. It was one of the roads closed since December 15 when the anti-CAA protest began.
“A section of the protesters opened the stretch that joins Abu Fazal Enclave to Kalindi Kunj Junction but after a few minutes, it was closed again by another group. Subsequently, the stretch was opened again by the protesters and it remains open,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (South East) RP Meena said.
The opneing of Kalindi Kunj road number 9 will made it easy for commuters to ply to and from from Noida, said residents. However, the Delhi Police and the Noida Police were continuing to barricade it from one side. The development came after three days of talks between the Supreme Court-appointed interlocutors — senior advocates Sanjay Hegde and Sadhana Ramachandran — and the protesters over the issue of difficulty to commuters due to blocking of roads.
According to the police, the protesters briefly opened a small portion of a road leading to Kalindi Kunj so that locals can pass through it with their two wheelers.
The Noida Traffic Police, however, also continued the restrictions on the Uttar Pradesh side of the road, an official told PTI.
“It was being alleged repeatedly that the protestors have blocked the Kalindi Kunj road, which leads to Noida Sector 37. So, today it was decided that this allegation has to be done away with and the route was opened,” Sonu Warsi, a protestor, said. “The decision was also taken to give a gift to the Supreme Court-appointed interlocutors, whose interaction and mediation has helped reopen the case. We have opened the road and it is now up to the Delhi Police and UP police to decide which vehicles they will allow,” he added.
After the talks on Friday, Hegde had said the protesters, in principle, were not fundamentally against opening of the non-protest side of the road if their security could be guaranteed in writing by the Delhi Police under suitable orders of the apex court.
“We will not be holding a public interaction tomorrow to enable the protesters to come to an independent conclusion as to the way forward. We will return on Sunday only if we deem it necessary and feasible to do so,” he had said.