Central Delhi began returning to normal on Sunday morning after the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) concluded its month-long protest at Jantar Mantar, bringing relief to thousands of commuters, traders, and residents who had endured days of traffic diversions, Metro station closures, internet suspension, and heavy security arrangements around the national capital's administrative centre.
Authorities Swiftly Restore Normalcy
As the crowds dispersed late Saturday night, authorities started removing barricades from roads surrounding the protest venue. Traffic resumed in phases on Sansad Marg, Janpath, Tolstoy Marg, Ashoka Road, and other adjoining stretches that had remained heavily restricted during the agitation.
‘Wall of Shame’ Repainted
A week after the July 20 police crackdown, authorities repainted the “Wall of Shame” — a stretch of road at Jantar Mantar that protesters had turned into a public memorial of the violent confrontation. The large stretch between the protest site and the Metro station had been covered with graffiti, posters, handwritten messages, and political satire reflecting the mood of the agitation. At its centre stood a striking red installation bearing the words “Wall of Shame,” each letter printed separately on A4 sheets pasted across the surface.
The display featured photographs capturing moments from the July 20 police action, including a police officer firing a tear gas shell, an officer swinging a baton at a woman protester, men in plain clothes carrying sticks, and a protester being beaten from multiple directions. Alongside were images of senior police officers compared to Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer, who ordered the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Beneath each photograph appeared the message in bold red letters against a yellow background: “Sab yaad rakha jayega.” The wall was surrounded by anti-government slogans and memes.
After the protest ended, the wall was among the first things to be cleaned. All walls were repainted in red.
Heavy Impact on Business
Connaught Place traders said the disruption became most severe during the final week. Atul Bhargava, president of the Connaught Place Traders Association, stated that business activity had plummeted after restrictions were imposed. “As far as CP is concerned, we got affected last Monday only. Business dropped to 25 per cent since then. It’s only today that things have started to normalise. I guess in another day or two, we should be back to normal,” he said.
Bhargava urged authorities to consider an alternative protest venue away from Connaught Place and Jantar Mantar. “Demonstrations cannot be allowed to hold an area to ransom,” he added.
The authorities had sealed Sansad Marg between Tolstoy Marg and Patel Chowk for nearly five days, while movement on several adjoining roads also remained restricted. The prolonged disruption took a visible toll on commercial activity across central Delhi. Traders in Sarojini Nagar also reported a sharp fall in business, as many customers depended on Metro services to reach the market.
Massive Cleanup Operation by NDMC
With the protest site vacated, authorities shifted focus to restoring the area. The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) launched an extensive cleanup operation through Saturday night and continued on Sunday. Officials said nearly 60 metric tonnes of waste was expected to be cleared from Jantar Mantar and surrounding roads.
Sanitation workers, heavy vehicles, and mechanised cleaning equipment were deployed across Tolstoy Marg, Jantar Mantar, Sansad Marg, Jai Singh Marg, and the Connaught Place area. Along with waste removal, civic teams began repainting walls to remove protest slogans, repairing damaged kerb stones and footpaths, and washing public spaces.
