Delhi Metro restored entry, exit and interchange facilities at 45 stations on Saturday night after keeping them closed for about 25 hours amid security arrangements linked to a protest at Jantar Mantar against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, according to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).
The corporation said all stations across the network had reopened and that interchange services were available at the affected stations. “The entry and exit gates of all stations on the Delhi Metro network are now open. Interchange facility has also started at the concerned metro stations,” the DMRC said in a notice issued on Saturday night.
The restrictions began at 9 pm on Friday for security reasons ahead of the demonstration organised by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar. The stations were initially expected to reopen at 6 pm on Saturday, but the restriction was extended until 10 pm before services were restored.
Among the stations affected were Rajiv Chowk, Central Secretariat, Patel Chowk, Janpath, Mandi House, ITO, Kashmere Gate and New Delhi. Their closure disrupted access to key interchange points, government offices, commercial areas and railway connections in central Delhi during a day of heightened security activity.
The report said more than 30,000 police and paramilitary personnel were deployed in Delhi before the protest. Multiple layers of barricading and checks were reported at city border entry points, railway stations, bus terminals, hotels and other sensitive locations. The security measures also contributed to traffic disruption across the capital.
Police sources cited in the report said more than 7,000 demonstrators were detained in Delhi on Saturday, including over 2,000 in the New Delhi area. The report also said that CJP convenor Abhijit Deepke and party leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained after arriving in Delhi from Mumbai.
The planned mobilisation at Jantar Mantar was affected by the heavy police deployment, with the protesters demanding the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said in a post on X that the capital would not be allowed to be held hostage, while accusing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal of attempting to turn Delhi into a battleground with the CJP. Those political allegations were reported as statements by the chief minister.
With the DMRC announcement, normal entry, exit and interchange operations resumed at the affected stations on Saturday night.
