Traders cite NDMC advisory; AAP and CJP question timing of shutdown and security buildup
Shops, offices and restaurants across Connaught Place were directed to close by 6:30 pm on Thursday, after the New Delhi Traders Association (NDTA) issued an advisory citing the volatile situation surrounding the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) ongoing protest in the capital.
The NDTA said the instruction came telephonically from the NDMC’s chairperson and vice-chairperson, who flagged a “critical situation” in the area and asked establishments to shut as a precaution. The circular urged shop owners and occupants to comply strictly, warning of possible “loss of property and injury” if the advisory was ignored.
NDTA president Atul Bhargava said footfall in the area had risen sharply through the day, prompting the NDMC’s call. He noted that Connaught Place houses roughly 1,400 shops and over 1,000 offices, and that no property damage had been reported even during Tuesday’s protest, describing the closure as purely preventive.
The move quickly drew criticism from the CJP and AAP, both questioning why authorities ordered such an early shutdown alongside a heavy security presence. The CJP’s official X account asked what the government intended by ordering closures so early in the evening.
Former Delhi chief minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal also flagged the arrangements on X, pointing to a large ambulance presence and asking whether security forces would again move against student protesters at Jantar Mantar.
Police remained on high alert around Connaught Place through the day, with visible deployment continuing from earlier in the week. The advisory added to a tense backdrop in the capital, as the CJP-led protest movement continues to draw crowds, scrutiny, and political sparring between the ruling establishment and opposition parties over the handling of the demonstrations.
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