Delhi Metro services will be disrupted at 45 stations from Friday night to Saturday evening as security agencies prepare for a proposed protest by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and opposition groups at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on October 10, according to a report by Live Hindustan – NCR.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) will keep the 45 stations closed from 9pm on October 9 until 6pm on October 10, following a request from Delhi Police. Interchange facilities at the affected stations will remain operational, the report said, allowing passengers to transfer between corridors even though entry and exit at the stations will be restricted.
The CJP has asked protesters to assemble at Jantar Mantar at 10am. Police have not granted permission for the demonstration against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The proposed protest is linked to opposition and CJP allegations of irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
Delhi Police has imposed restrictions under Section 163 in New Delhi and warned that legal action will be taken against anyone found violating the order. The New Delhi district has been divided into 20 zones, with multilayer barricading installed at several locations. More than 25,000 security personnel are expected to be deployed across the capital as authorities prepare for the gathering.
Security arrangements will also include monitoring at bus terminals, hotels and other sensitive locations. The report said cameras with facial-recognition systems will be deployed at key points, while CCTV feeds will be monitored through control rooms. Liquor shops across Delhi have also been ordered to remain closed on October 10 as a precautionary measure.
Internet services in a four-kilometre area around the Janpath-Kartavya Path intersection have been suspended for 24 hours following approval from the Union Home Ministry. The restriction began at 10pm on October 9 and is scheduled to continue until 10pm on October 10. The affected area includes parts of the central administrative district around the planned protest site.
Rail passengers will face additional disruption. Indian Railways has cancelled all incoming mail and express trains at New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin stations between 4am and 2pm on October 10, according to the report. Some other train services from neighbouring states are also expected to be affected.
CJP convenor Abhijit Deepke criticised the scale of the restrictions and compared the arrangements to Emergency-like conditions. He said the organisation would continue with its protest and alleged that the administration was treating young people unfairly. These statements could not be independently assessed from the supplied report.
The restrictions are scheduled to end at different times on October 10: the affected Metro stations are due to reopen at 6pm, while the internet suspension around Janpath and Kartavya Path is scheduled to continue until 10pm. Train cancellations are currently listed for the 4am-to-2pm window.
