A protest march in South Mumbai led by Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi leader Prakash Ambedkar brought traffic to a halt for three hours on Wednesday evening as around 2,000 people demanded the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gynaesh Kumar over alleged poll fraud. Police said the organisers had not obtained permission and that a case would be filed at Azad Maidan police station.
The march began at the Metro Cinema junction and continued towards the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation headquarters, with participants raising slogans during the procession. The road stretch was closed to traffic between 3pm and 6pm, while barricades and a large police deployment were put in place to manage the crowd and redirect vehicles.
A senior police officer said traffic was diverted through alternative routes. The diversions led to bumper-to-bumper congestion and caused inconvenience for people returning from offices across South Mumbai. A government programme scheduled at Malabar Hill was also postponed, according to the report.
The police action followed a change in the proposed route and venue. Police sources said the rally was originally planned to begin in Byculla and end at Azad Maidan. Byculla police did not grant permission for that plan, after which the venue and route were changed. The march ultimately began from the Metro Cinema junction and moved towards the BMC headquarters.
The episode highlights the operational challenge of managing large political demonstrations in one of Mumbai’s most congested administrative and commercial zones. The affected roads connect major office districts, civic institutions and South Mumbai neighbourhoods, leaving limited scope for traffic diversion when a route is closed for several hours. In this case, the closure also coincided with the evening return commute.
The protest’s stated demand concerned the Chief Election Commissioner, while its immediate impact was felt through the city’s transport and public-order systems. Police had to deploy personnel, install barricades, close the affected stretch and redirect traffic. The postponed government programme added to the disruption caused by the march.
Police said they would register a case against the organisers for holding the protest without permission. The report did not specify the sections under which the case would be filed or provide a response from the organisers to the police allegation. Further details on the case and any subsequent action were not immediately available.
