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Kolkata: Ahead of the National Yoga Day event in Kolkata attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the city’s arterial Red Road was ordered to remain closed for seven days, effectively blocking transport for thousands of commuters.

In a traffic notification dated June 14, the Commissioner of Police, Kolkata, Ajay Nand, said the road was shut down for the “observance of the 12th International Day of Yoga” and that “commuters are requested to plan their journeys accordingly and follow the directions of traffic personnel.”

The decision comes weeks after the newly elected Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government had barred the Muslim community from offering Eid prayers on the Red Road, citing the need to ensure commuters are not inconvenienced with interrupted traffic movement.

The Eid prayers were shifted to the nearby Brigade Parade Grounds. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had said at the time that no religion was above the law.

The recent order shut down the Red Road from June 14 to June 21, until after the International Yoga Day programme was over. Although the Kolkata Traffic Police provided alternate routes, not everyone was assured.

Impact on commuters, cab drivers

“Shifting the Eid prayers was done under the guise of helping us commuters, but this week-long shutdown is five times worse,” said Rajesh Gupta to The Wire. Gupta travels from South Kolkata’s Ballygunge to his office near BBD Bag every day, which is around a 40-minute commute. He said the normal bus ride took “nearly an hour and a half today (June 19) because the entire Jawaharlal Nehru Road stretch is choked.”

“If the objective is to reduce commuter pain, closing a vital highway for seven days to build a stage makes absolutely no sense.”

The week-long roadblock has severely impacted app-based cab drivers’ earnings. “Passengers are angry because wait times and fares have surged due to the traffic jam. If I take a booking from Ballygunge to Howrah Station, I used to go smoothly via Red Road,” said Bijoy Krishna Jana.

“Strand Road and JL Nehru Road are completely choked. We are idling in bumper-to-bumper traffic for nearly an hour just to cross a two-kilometre patch. It’s hurting our pockets and our sanity,” said another cab driver, Mohammad Yunus.

Officially known as Indira Gandhi Sarani, the road links south and central Kolkata to major hubs in the city. All the primary institutional, commercial and legal hubs are connected via the Red Road, including the administrative side of the city, such as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) office, the Writer’s Building, headquarters of almost every bank, the New Secretariat and several other corporate offices. It also leads to the Howrah Bridge, Howrah station and the Calcutta High Court.

High Court refused to interfere, orders govt to make alternative arrangements

The High Court on June 18 refused to interfere with the state government’s decision, even as it questioned the need to keep the Red Road closed.

Hearing a petition filed by the All India Lawyers’ Union (AILU), Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya asked whether the programme could have been held at the nearby Brigade Parade Ground instead of Red Road. “Would the importance have been less if it was held at the Brigade Parade Ground? Residents could get to use the road,” the court said.

Additional Advocate General Billwadal Bhattacharya, representing the state, responded that several alternative routes were available in the area, assuring the court that commuters would not face inconvenience.

The court then directed the West Bengal government to make alternative traffic arrangements to minimise inconvenience. 

Double standards

Many citizens pointed out the blatant discrimination and religious double standards. While the Eid prayer would have blocked the road for no more than two hours once a year on a national holiday and was labelled as an “inconvenience” and a “public nuisance,” an event organised by the state government was allowed to halt the city’s traffic for more than seven days.

“There is opposition to the use of Red Road for Eid prayers, yet Red Road is closed for seven days for International Yoga Day… Is the law equal for everyone, or does its application change depending on the nature of the event?” A user wrote on X.

Trimamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra also criticised the decision. “Eid prayers could not be held for 1 hour for 1 day on Red Road but same Red Road closed to traffic for a week for Yoga Divas.” Several others noted that for other national events, such as the Republic Day Parade or the Durga Puja Carnival, the road is never shut down for a week.