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.