New Delhi: Rail passengers and commuters in the national capital experienced intense disruptions on Saturday as a combination of widespread train cancellations, heavy security curbs, and suspended mobile internet services left travelers stranded without a reliable alternative plan. The transit chaos unfolded around the New Delhi Railway Station and Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station as authorities implemented tight restrictions ahead of a planned demonstration by the Cockroach Janata Party.
The political group had organized the protest to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged grievances tied to the Special Intensive Revision exercise of voter rolls. In response, security forces enforced sweeping measures across central Delhi under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, erecting barricades at major intersections and deploying large contingents of police personnel to control crowds and check the identification documents of anyone attempting to approach the railway hubs.
The security lockdown directly impacted daily transactions for stranded travelers. With mobile internet services suspended across the station areas, commuters found themselves unable to access online news updates regarding train schedules or complete digital transactions. For instance, a Varanasi-bound traveler named Abhinav discovered he could not use a mobile payment app to pay for a drink after realizing he had left his wallet behind, illustrating the practical difficulties created by the connectivity blackout.
Public address systems at the New Delhi Railway Station continually broadcasted train cancellations throughout the morning, noting that numerous services, including trains bound for Varanasi and the Pune Express, would not operate. A railway official confirmed anonymously that more than 170 trains had been called off for the day. Many affected passengers stated they had received no prior notice of the cancellations before arriving at the terminals.
The Railway Ministry had previously issued a directive to various railway zones explaining that all incoming Mail and Express trains scheduled for arrival at New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin stations between early morning and early afternoon would be cancelled. The ministry pointed to expectations of severe road traffic congestion and the risk of massive crowds obstructing station access, noting that thousands of passengers had already missed their trains during related traffic gridlocks earlier in the week.
Beyond the transport hubs, the security sweep also targeted the leadership of the organizing party. Several key figures, including Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das, and Ashutosh Ranka, were taken into custody upon arriving in Delhi for the demonstration, while other associated figures reported being detained near their residences as police worked to prevent the protest from taking place.