Delhi protestors struggled to reach Jantar Mantar on Saturday as police deployed barricades, detained hundreds of people, closed 45 metro stations and checked vehicles at city borders. The restrictions were imposed ahead of a protest called by the Cockroach Janta Party, the All India Students’ Association and other groups.
As of 1.30 pm, no protestors had reached the announced protest site, according to the Indian Express report. Police and Central Armed Police Forces were deployed across Central Delhi, with security arrangements concentrated around Parliament Street, Connaught Place and Jantar Mantar.
Around 2,000 to 3,000 police and CAPF personnel were gathered near Parliament Street police station, while approximately 100 personnel were positioned at each layer of barricading, the report said. Routes around Sansad Marg, Connaught Place and Jantar Mantar had been blocked or diverted since 9 am.
Police said about 270 people who had come into the area at night were detained. This included approximately 70 people who had stayed near Gurudwara Bangla Sahib before being detained after leaving the premises. Police presence was also reported at operational metro stations closest to the protest location.
With 45 metro stations closed, Patel Nagar and Yamuna Bank were among the nearest operational stations. Patel Nagar is around a one-and-a-half-hour walk from Jantar Mantar, while Yamuna Bank is nearly two hours away. Auto drivers were reportedly refusing trips towards Connaught Place because of the barricades, while shared e-rickshaw drivers charged Rs. 100 per passenger for a five-kilometre journey.
At Yamuna Bank, a passenger who had travelled from Noida Sector 16 said he reached Barakhamba Road but found that the station gates had not opened, forcing him to return to Yamuna Bank. Other passengers reported difficulty booking cabs, with some bookings being cancelled after being accepted. At Akshardham, police stopped vehicles carrying young passengers and asked about their destinations.
Police and security personnel also checked vehicles at the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border, including at Chilla and the DND flyway. A traffic police officer said commercial vehicles were being checked for large groups attempting to reach Delhi, while nearby parks were also being monitored. Officers checked passenger lists, asked travellers about their destinations and stopped some private and commercial vehicles carrying young and middle-aged men to examine their Aadhaar cards.
The measures left central Delhi routes largely deserted apart from security personnel and diverted traffic. The report did not provide a final figure for total detentions or state when the metro closures and barricades would be lifted.
