Amit Shah’s visit spells traffic chaos in Chandigarh, Panchkula

Residents of Panchkula and Chandigarh, along with thousands of daily commuters, faced severe snarl-ups due to extensive security arrangements for Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Panchkula today. Prolonged road closures and diversions led to chaos, leaving motorists stranded for hours on key roads.

According to commuters, the complete closure of the stretch from Shalimar Chowk to Tawa Chowk for the entire day, along with restrictions on Chandigarh–Panchkula connectivity via Saketri, triggered confusion. The absence of clear real-time traffic advisories worsened the situation, forcing many to take long and unfamiliar detours.

Major traffic snarls were reported on Madhya Marg, Housing Board Chowk road and the stretch from Mansa Devi (Singh Dwar) to Old Panchkula leading towards Tau Devi Lal Stadium. Vehicles crawled bumper-to-bumper, with commuters reporting waiting times of over an hour on short stretches. Office-goers, students and patients travelling to hospitals were among the worst affected.

Congress leader Naveen Bansal said while leaders had visited Panchkula in the past, this was the first time a “curfew-like atmosphere” was created for a leader’s visit. “Traders were distressed, parking areas remained deserted and people ferrying patients faced immense trouble. Many residents took about two hours just to reach their homes,” he said.

Residents also took to Civic Groups and social media to vent their anger. One commuter wrote, “Chaos on Panchkula roads. Complete failure of Panchkula Traffic Police. Roads were publicised as closed, but no alternative routes were suggested. From BEL light point to Sector 2 took more than 40 minutes.” Another resident remarked, “Salute the VIP culture of the country. Everything is done for the hassle-free movement of one person, while thousands suffer and no one seems to bother.”

Long-distance travellers heading towards Shimla and other parts of Himachal Pradesh and Haryana reported delays of two to three hours due to congestion on NH-5 and NH-7.

Though traffic eased by evening, the episode once again underscored the need for better planning, timely public advisories and balanced security arrangements during high-profile visits.

Meanwhile, Shah’s day-long visit to Panchkula was marked by key events — unveiling a 41-foot bronze statue of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at Atal Park, MDC Sector 1, the state-level Veer Bal Diwas programme to pay tribute to the sacrifice of the Sahibzadas, a cooperative conference and the Haryana Police passing-out parade.

Video of ambulance stuck in jam goes viral

A video was circulating on social media late night showing an ambulance stuck in a massive traffic jam stretching from the Housing Board Chowk to the Kala Gram traffic lights. The gridlock reportedly occurred as Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s convoy passed through, halting all traffic. Despite the ambulance’s siren blaring, no assistance was provided to clear its path.