Delhi Metro stations and train services faced restrictions ahead of a planned protest at Jantar Mantar on October 10, with the Railway Board cancelling some services bound for New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin stations and Delhi Police asking the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation to close 57 stations, according to a report by Live Hindustan.
The protest has been called by the Cockroach Janata Party and some student organisations over alleged irregularities in the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of voter lists. The organisers are seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
According to the report, the Railway Board cancelled some mail and express trains scheduled to arrive at New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin railway stations between 4am and 2pm on October 10. The cancellations affect rail services used by passengers travelling into the capital during the period of the proposed demonstration.
Delhi Police has also asked the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation to close 57 stations to restrict the movement of people who may travel to the protest, the report said. The status of the proposed closures and the specific stations affected was not detailed in the supplied report. It also reported that internet services had been suspended in the capital, although the authority responsible and the duration were not specified.
Abhijit Deepke, identified in the report as the founder of the Cockroach Janata Party, criticised the restrictions in a post on X. He alleged that thousands of young people had been detained across the country before the demonstration and said the government’s attempt to intimidate protesters would not succeed. He also said he would travel to Delhi and march to Jantar Mantar.
The report said senior advocate Kapil Sibal informed the Supreme Court that trains arriving in Delhi had been cancelled, that metro services were proposed to be shut and that internet services had been suspended. Advocates Abhishek Singhvi and Prashant Bhushan also urged the court to consider the proposal to close metro stations. The supplied report does not state whether the Supreme Court passed an order on the matter.
Delhi Police said permission for the protest had been refused. Joint Commissioner Nupur Prasad said the application was received on October 7, three days before the planned demonstration, while applications for such events are required to be submitted at least 10 days in advance. Police also cited alleged violations of rules during an earlier demonstration.
The report said restrictions under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita had been imposed in New Delhi district. The provision allows authorities to issue orders intended to prevent possible disturbance. The immediate operational arrangements for rail services, metro stations and the proposed protest remain tied to the authorities’ decisions ahead of October 10.
