No traffic was allowed to overtake the gun-carriage, which resulted in a pile up. The procession reached Ekta Sthal through Akbar Road, India Gate and Tilak Marg.

“The carriage was moving at mere 5 km per hour. Several VIPs, including President Pratibha Patil and BJP president L K Advani, also arrived for the funeral; the roads had to cleared for the movement of these VIPs,” a senior traffic police officer said.

The VIPs present at the funeral included Vice President Hamid Ansari, Home Minister P Chidambaram, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.

The India Gate circle was worst affected, with ceremonial guards frantically trying to manage the traffic. All radial roads were blocked. Mathura Road, Tilak Marg, Akbar Road and Ashoka Road where also affected, with the traffic jam reaching as far INA market and AIIMS.

“This is crazy. The government should think about the amount of fuel and precious time wasted,” a commuter Alok Pandey said.

Some restless motorists got out of their cars and started arguing with the traffic constables.