The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation announced that entry and exit gates at 57 metro stations, including prominent locations such as Rajiv Chowk, New Delhi, Central Secretariat, Patel Chowk, and Kashmere Gate, will remain closed starting from 9 pm on Friday, October 9, until further notice. The security measures were implemented ahead of a proposed demonstration at Jantar Mantar.
The protest was organized by the Cockroach Janta Party, which is demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The closures affect numerous key transit hubs across the network, though interchange facilities will continue to function at all affected stations except for the New Delhi metro station. Additionally, train frequencies at these identified locations may be reduced depending on evolving security conditions.
The sweeping transit restrictions follow a formal request sent by the Delhi Police to the metro corporation regarding planned demonstrations across the New Delhi district. In a communication dated October 8, law enforcement authorities cited the potential for unruly movement toward sensitive areas and advised shutting down access points at the designated stations until conditions stabilize.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police clarified that official permission had not been granted for the Jantar Mantar gathering. This response followed an intimation submitted by CJP co-convener Saurav Das, who formally notified the police about the proposed demonstration and urged a large public turnout. Police officials noted that the notification was submitted on short notice and failed to meet the guideline requiring notices to be filed ten days prior to a proposed public demonstration.