Delhi Police has asked the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to close the entry and exit gates of 57 Metro stations across the national capital ahead of a planned protest at Jantar Mantar on October 10, a move that could disrupt travel for commuters if implemented.
The proposed restrictions are scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. on October 9 and continue through October 10, until the security situation returns to normal. The request was made by the Joint Commissioner of Police, Transport Range, in an official communication issued on October 8.
The communication cited the possibility of large crowds moving towards sensitive locations in the New Delhi district. It asked the DMRC to take appropriate measures and issue directions to its officers and staff at the identified stations. However, the letter records a request from Delhi Police and does not confirm that the DMRC has approved or implemented the proposed closures.
The stations identified in the communication include Seva Teerth, formerly Udyog Bhawan, and Sarai Kale Khan-Nizamuddin. The source report does not reproduce the complete list of 57 stations. The proposed measures would affect both station entry and exit operations, although no further operational details, such as whether trains would continue passing through the stations or whether services would be suspended, have been confirmed.
The planned demonstration has been called by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and student organisations, including the All India Students’ Association, amid continuing protests against the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Organisers are demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, an independent inquiry into alleged irregularities in the revision exercise and changes to the process for appointing Election Commissioners.
The Election Commission has maintained that the revision exercise is intended to improve the accuracy of electoral rolls. The October 10 protest follows a series of demonstrations in Delhi concerning the revision process and the Chief Election Commissioner.
Delhi Police has denied permission for the CJP’s proposed protest at Jantar Mantar, citing alleged non-compliance with conditions agreed upon during an earlier demonstration. Joint Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Nupur Prasad said on October 9 that the application had been made at short notice, whereas organisers are required to apply at least 10 days in advance.
The CJP’s co-convener Saurav Das submitted an intimation letter to Delhi Police on October 7, informing the force of the planned demonstration and seeking arrangements for law and order and traffic management. Police have since intensified security preparations across the capital.
According to official communications issued on October 5 and October 6, 70 companies of the Central Reserve Police Force, comprising about 7,000 personnel and then deployed in West Bengal and Chhattisgarh, are being mobilised for law and order duties in Delhi ahead of the protest.
The police have also begun a local outreach campaign urging residents not to participate in the proposed demonstration. Meetings have been held with owners of student paying guest accommodations, market associations and Resident Welfare Associations between October 7 and October 10.
The immediate position for Metro users will depend on whether the DMRC accepts and implements the police request. Delhi Police’s proposed restriction is scheduled to remain in force until the situation is considered normal.
