Central Delhi returns to normal life, but protests and heavy security keep city on edge

Connaught Place began finding its way back to its familiar weekend rhythm on Sunday (October 12, 2026), but the return to normalcy was hesitant. Shoppers and diners trickled into the market after a day of closure, Metro services resumed and a few more establishments reopened. Yet, the sight of police personnel lining the roads, barricades narrowing access and detention buses moving through the Inner and Outer Circles remained a reminder that the protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar were far from over. 

On the second day of protests, the easing of restrictions brought some movement back to central Delhi. But the market, usually packed with shoppers, visitors and people waiting outside popular restaurants and cafes, remained unusually quiet. Several shops and eateries stayed shut, while those that opened periodically closed their doors when protests flared at different points in Connaught Place. 

“We came here to eat at a restaurant we really like. It is usually fully booked, and there is hardly any space to walk on the roads, with so many vendors and people taking up space. Today, CP does not even feel like CP,” said Aarti, a Lajpat Nagar resident who had arrived for lunch with her husband. 

The contrast was difficult to miss. On a typical Sunday, the market’s colonnades draw families, shoppers and groups of friends, with queues spilling out of cafes and people moving between the shops.  

Connaught Place in New Delhi on October 11
| Photo Credit:
Shashi Shekhar Kashyap

Large contingents of the Delhi Police, Central Reserve Police Force and Rapid Action Force remained stationed across the market. Rows of buses and detention vehicles occupied one or two lanes along stretches of road, leaving less space for regular traffic. Vehicles continued to move, though temporary congestion built up when police personnel chased protesters and ushered them into waiting buses. 

For onlookers, the detention vehicles became a spectacle of their own. Some stopped to watch as detainees shouted slogans from inside the buses, while others slowed down, pulled out their phones to capture the scene before moving on. Police personnel quickly cleared the crowds that gathered around such incidents, preventing them from blocking the roads. 

Visitors appeared more cautious than usual. Some walked through the market, looking around before deciding whether to stay, while others continued towards the restaurants and shops that were open. Even with Metro stations operating again, the footfall remained well below what the market typically sees over a weekend. 

The difference was not limited to Connaught Place. Although Metro services had resumed and the internet was functioning around Jantar Mantar, barricades remained at several points leading into central Delhi. On the road from Nizamuddin towards the city centre, concrete barricades were still in place on Sunday afternoon. At several checkpoints, even journalists were asked to show their identity cards before being allowed through. 

The approach to the Jantar Mantar protest site from Ashoka Road was largely deserted by Sunday evening, apart from security personnel. After multiple protests in Connaught Place during the day, the deployment around the site remained heavy. Security personnel said there had been few attempts by protesters to enter the designated protest area on Sunday. 

People roam as things ease at Connaught Place in New Delhi on October 11
| Photo Credit:
Shashi Shekhar Kashyap

There were, however, small signs of activity returning to the neighbourhood. The Kerala House canteen, located close to Jantar Mantar and shut on Saturday, was functioning on Sunday, according to security staff. Its reopening offered a glimpse of ordinary life resuming even as the surrounding streets remained under close watch. 

The Supreme Court’s directions and the reopening of Metro stations marked a change from the previous day, when restrictions had severely disrupted movement in central Delhi. Yet the continued police deployment and the possibility of fresh demonstrations meant that the easing was limited. For those who came to shop or spend their Sunday eating out, the market was accessible, but the sense of ease that usually accompanies a weekend visit was missing.