Delhi’s public transport and communications networks face major restrictions on October 10 as authorities prepare for a proposed protest by the Cockroach Janta Party and opposition groups at Jantar Mantar. Forty-five metro stations are being kept closed for several hours, mail and express trains have been cancelled at two major railway stations, and internet services have been suspended in a four-kilometre area of central New Delhi.
According to a report by Live Hindustan – NCR, the protest organisers had asked participants to gather at Jantar Mantar at 10 am. Delhi Police did not grant permission for the demonstration against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Section 163 has been imposed in New Delhi, and police have warned that legal action will follow if the restrictions are violated.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation said 45 stations would remain closed from 9 pm on October 9 until 6 pm on October 10 following a request from Delhi Police. Interchange facilities at the affected stations will remain operational, according to the report. The closure is expected to affect commuters travelling through central Delhi and people attempting to reach railway stations, government offices and commercial areas in the New Delhi district.
Security arrangements have been expanded across the capital. More than 25,000 personnel have been deployed, while New Delhi district has been divided into 20 zones. Multilayer barricading has been installed at several locations, and police are using cameras equipped with facial-recognition systems and CCTV monitoring from control rooms. Bus terminals, hotels and other sensitive locations are also under surveillance.
Internet services in the area around the Janpath-Kartavya Path intersection have been suspended for 24 hours, from 10 pm on October 9 until 10 pm on October 10, after approval from the Union Home Ministry. The restriction covers a four-kilometre radius, according to the report. Delhi Police had sought the suspension as part of its preparations for the protest.
Rail services have also been affected. Indian Railways has cancelled all mail and express trains arriving at New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin railway stations between 4 am and 2 pm on October 10. Some other train services bringing passengers to Delhi from neighbouring states have also been affected.
As an additional precaution, liquor shops across Delhi were ordered to remain closed on October 10. The combined measures cover metro access, long-distance rail travel, telecommunications and commercial activity, creating a wider disruption beyond the immediate protest site.
The protest has been linked to allegations of irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. CJP convenor Abhijit Deepke criticised the restrictions and compared the security preparations to emergency-like conditions, while saying that the organisation would continue its protest. The report did not include a response from the Chief Election Commissioner’s office to the allegations.
The restrictions are scheduled to remain in force for the time periods announced by the police, DMRC, railways and authorities, with the metro closures ending at 6 pm and the central New Delhi internet suspension ending at 10 pm on October 10.
