Thousands of commuters were left stranded on Wednesday as several groups of the Valmiki community blocked the Bhandari Bridge, the lifeline connecting the old walled city with the Civil Lines area, bringing traffic to a standstill for several hours.

Residents expressed anger over the utter mismanagement by the district administration and the police, even though the agitators had reportedly informed officials a day prior to the protest. The ongoing construction of the Rigo Bridge, which has been delayed for years, further compounded the traffic chaos.

The agitation stemmed from an internal dispute within the Valmiki community over the installation of a religious flag at the Valmiki Tirath (Ram Tirath Temple) complex. One group had installed a red-coloured flag on October 27, led by commun

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