Traffic Advisory: Major Disruptions Expected in Kolkata Today as Mamata Banerjee Leads Protest March Against SIR

---

Kolkata — West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and TMC National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee will lead a massive protest march in Kolkata today against the Systematic Identification of Real Voters (SIR) initiative introduced by the central government. The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) has strongly warned that if the names of any genuine voters are removed from the revised electoral list, the party will launch a fierce agitation.

The march is scheduled to begin at 1:30 PM from the statue of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar on Red Road and will conclude at Jorasanko Thakurbari, the ancestral home of Rabindranath Tagore, Nobel Laureate and national icon. Thousands of TMC leaders, workers, and supporters are expected to join the procession, making it one of the largest political gatherings in the city this year.

Heavy Security and Traffic Arrangements

The Kolkata Police and city administration have deployed tight security measures to manage the crowd and ensure law and order. However, authorities have issued a traffic advisory warning of severe congestion in several key areas of Central Kolkata throughout the afternoon and evening.

Motorists are advised to avoid the following major roads:

• Red Road
• B.B. Ganguly Street
• Esplanade Area
• C.R. (Chittaranjan) Avenue
• J.N. (Jawaharlal Nehru) Road
• S.N. Banerjee Road
• College Street
• Nirmal Chandra Street
• Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road
• Dorina Crossing
• Connecting routes such as A.J.C. Bose Road, Bidhan Sarani, and Strand Road

Commuter Advisory

Police have urged commuters to plan their travel routes in advance and avoid these areas between 12 noon and late evening. Traffic diversions will be implemented as needed to maintain the flow of vehicles in other parts of the city.

The TMC’s protest march is being viewed as a major political statement against the central government’s SIR policy, which the party claims is an attempt to intimidate voters and disenfranchise legitimate citizens. The opposition, however, has accused TMC of using the issue for political mileage ahead of upcoming elections.

The day’s developments are expected to bring the city’s traffic to a standstill in several pockets, while also setting the tone for a high-voltage political confrontation between the state and the center over voter rights and electoral transparency.