More than 1,000 statistical volunteers, engaged in carrying out various surveys such as census, socio-economic census and caste census, on Monday staged a massive demonstration at Dakbungalow roundabout in support of their demands, including job regularisation.

To remove the demonstrators from the site, where traffic came to a standstill for hours, police had to resort to lathicharge in which many volunteers suffered injuries. The volunteers took out a protest march from Gandhi Maidan to Dakbungalow roundabout.

Commuters passing through Dakbungalow roundabout faced difficulties while crossing Bailey Road and Fraser Road among other streets.

Sudha Sharma, a resident of Raja Bazaar seen aboard a rickshaw, said: “I have to reach Ashok Rajpath to pick my daughter from St Joseph’s Convent, but owing to the traffic jam I will reach late.” Text by Roshan Kumar, picture by Ashok Sinha