Delhi protest security measures have closed 45 Metro stations, cancelled at least 245 trains and restricted movement across the capital ahead of a demonstration called for Saturday by the Cockroach Janta Party, the All India Students’ Association and others seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
At least 30,000 police and paramilitary personnel were deployed across Delhi by Friday evening, with barricades placed on roads and tighter checks at the city’s borders. Mobile internet services were ordered to be suspended for 24 hours in part of Central Delhi from 10 pm on Friday, within a 4-km radius of the Janpath-Kartavya Path crossing, according to a notification cited by the report.
Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan wrote to states and Union Territories saying that the Saturday assembly had been prohibited and directing them to coordinate with Delhi Police to “pre-empt any breach of public tranquility and to safeguard critical infrastructure”. The restrictions followed a Supreme Court observation from a Bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant that “you cannot use a hammer to kill a fly” in the context of the curbs imposed on the capital.
Delhi Police prepared a plan involving 37 designated blocking points in the New Delhi district, with the stated aim of stopping protesters within the jurisdictions where they arrive rather than allowing them to reach Central Delhi. Police identified about 30 temporary detention facilities across 15 districts, including police buildings, sports complexes and stadiums. Around 600 low-floor buses were commissioned to transport detained protesters, while 7,000 to 8,000 police personnel were assigned to the operation, with the force able to increase to 15,000 if required.
The Central Armed Police Forces were to provide 221 companies, comprising about 23,000 personnel, from October 8 to 12. The personnel were brought in from Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh, and included five companies of all-women forces. Vehicles entering Delhi through Noida, Faridabad and Gurugram were being checked for passenger numbers, visible protest material and other indicators, according to senior police officers cited in the report.
The security operation disrupted public transport and daily activity across the capital. Northern Railway said trains arriving at or departing from New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin stations on Saturday were cancelled because of anticipated road congestion around the stations. The cancelled services included at least 75 Mail and Express trains, as well as several Shatabdis, Rajdhanis, Humsafar and Tejas Express trains. The cancellation order applied to trains starting from their source after 2 pm on October 9 and scheduled to reach the two Delhi stations between 4 am and 2 pm on October 10.
The Delhi Metro initially received a request to close 57 stations and reduce train frequency, but later announced that 45 stations would remain shut from 9 pm on Friday to 6 pm on Saturday. The closure was wider than the 16-station shutdown imposed during protests in July. The New Delhi Traders Association advised shops, offices and restaurants in Connaught Place to remain closed, while liquor shops across Delhi were shut on Friday and Saturday. Several schools and colleges shifted to online classes, and the Patiala House and Rouse Avenue courts were scheduled to function virtually on Saturday.
Hotels were also asked to restrict some categories of guests, including people carrying local identification documents and students or young people arriving from outside Delhi, according to hotel staff cited by the report. Leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party and Left parties alleged that members were being detained in different states to prevent them from travelling to Delhi. The report also cited allegations that students were removed from trains at Itarsi in Madhya Pradesh.
The police said the extensive deployment followed two “serious lapses” during an earlier protest by the Cockroach Janta Party at Jantar Mantar over the NEET-UG paper leak. A senior officer said police had previously underestimated the number of protesters and deployed different units and districts at the same location. The protest organisers said they would proceed despite the restrictions. In a communication to CJP leader Saurav Das, Deputy Commissioner of Police Sachin Sharma said permission had to take account of the rights of residents and other citizens affected by traffic disruption and safety concerns.
