Delhi Metro commuters could face disruptions across the national capital after Delhi Police asked the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to close 57 stations ahead of the Cockroach Janata Party’s proposed protest at Jantar Mantar on October 10. The police request also allows for reduced train frequency through the identified stations, but does not by itself confirm that DMRC has implemented the measures.
In a letter dated Thursday, Joint Commissioner of Police (Transport Range) Rajneesh Gupta asked DMRC to close the listed stations from 9pm on Friday until Saturday. The request cited the likelihood of “unruly mob movement towards sensitive locations” in connection with the planned demonstration and other locations in the national capital.
The stations named in the request include Janpath, Patel Chowk, Central Secretariat, Rajiv Chowk, Mandi House, Barakhamba Road, Supreme Court, Indraprastha, Kashmere Gate, Chandni Chowk, INA, Hauz Khas, Azadpur, Jamia Millia Islamia, Shaheen Bagh, Welcome and Rohini West. The proposed measures could affect commuters travelling through central Delhi as well as several other parts of the city.
The CJP has announced a youth-led demonstration at Jantar Mantar over alleged “vote theft”, the exclusion of young voters from electoral rolls and other concerns related to the Election Commission. Delhi Police has warned against the proposed gathering and said prohibitory restrictions under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita are in force in the national capital. Police have said unauthorised gatherings could invite legal action, while CJP leaders have maintained that they intend to proceed with the protest.
The party has separately claimed that 57 metro stations could remain closed, that trains to New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin stations could be cancelled between 4am and 2pm, and that more than 30,000 police personnel could be deployed across Delhi. These figures were presented by the party in social media posts and were not independently confirmed in the report.
The CJP also alleged that its national organisation co-in-charge, Deepak Baliyan, had been placed under house arrest in Alwar ahead of the protest. The party claimed that about 40 police personnel in plain clothes were present at his residence after Alwar Police allegedly returned following his overnight detention. Baliyan was quoted as saying that his family feared for its safety. The report did not include an official response from Alwar Police to the allegation.
The immediate operational question for commuters is whether DMRC accepts and implements the police request, and whether any station closures or service-frequency changes are announced before travel begins. Delhi Police’s stated security concerns and the party’s intention to proceed with the protest have placed the city’s metro network at the centre of the arrangements for October 10.
