NEW DELHI: Delhi Police has requested the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to close entry and exit gates at 57 metro stations from 9pm on Friday till normalisation of the situation on Saturday, citing the likelihood of “unruly mob movement towards sensitive locations” amid protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.In a separate move, Indian Railways has cancelled all Mail and Express trains scheduled to arrive at New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin railway stations between 4am and 2pm on Saturday, citing concerns over severe road traffic congestion around the two stations.The proposed metro restrictions and train cancellations come ahead of the protest at Jantar Mantar on October 10 against the CEC. While Delhi Police has cited the possibility of unruly crowd movement in its communication to DMRC, railway sources said the train cancellations were intended to prevent inconvenience to passengers who could struggle to find taxis and other transport to reach their final destinations.In a letter dated October 8, Joint Commissioner of Police (Transport Range) Rajneesh Gupta requested DMRC managing director Vikas Kumar to take necessary measures at the identified stations. The letter said entry and exit gates may be closed from 9pm on October 9, with restrictions continuing on October 10 until the situation normalises.The police also indicated that the frequency of metro trains passing through the affected stations may be reduced on Saturday, depending on the situation.The 57 stations identified by Delhi Police include Janpath, Patel Chowk, Central Secretariat, Rajiv Chowk, Mandi House, Barakhamba Road, ITO, Delhi Gate, Kashmere Gate, Chandni Chowk, Supreme Court, Indraprastha, INA, Hauz Khas, Jamia Millia Islamia, Shaheen Bagh, Welcome, Azadpur and Rohini West.Other stations on the list include Lok Kalyan Marg, Khan Market, R.K. Ashram Marg, Jangpura, Sarai Kale Khan-Nizamuddin, Ashram, Kalindi Kunj, Jamia, Chawri Bazar, Jama Masjid, Karol Bagh, Rajendra Place, Vishwavidyalaya, Vidhan Sabha, Civil Lines, Kashmere Gate, Shastri Nagar, G.T.B. Nagar, Kanhaiya Nagar, Netaji Subhash Place, Adarsh Nagar, Jahangir Puri, Haiderpur Badli Mor, Majlis Park, Shalimar Bagh, Seelampur, Maujpur, Jafrabad, Welcome, Yamuna Vihar, Khazuri Khas, Shahdara, Rithala and Rohini East.
Railways cancels trains arriving at New Delhi, Nizamuddin
According to a railway order issued on October 9, Mail and Express trains departing from their originating stations after 2pm on Friday and scheduled to reach New Delhi or Hazrat Nizamuddin between 4am and 2pm on Saturday will be cancelled at source.Railway sources said the decision was restricted to trains destined for the two stations because anticipated road congestion could make it difficult for passengers to arrange taxis and other onward transport. Trains terminating at other stations, including Anand Vihar, Old Delhi, Bijwasan, Sarai Rohilla and Delhi Cantt, had not been cancelled as of Friday.There was no change in the schedule of trains originating from New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin as of now. However, railway sources warned that departures could also be affected if incoming trains failed to reach the two stations during the restricted period.
Protest against CEC
The protest at Jantar Mantar has been called against Gyanesh Kumar over allegations relating to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and changes to Form 6, which is used to register voters. The allegations concern the handling of voter-list revisions and the process followed in making changes to the form.The proposed restrictions are intended to manage movement around sensitive locations during the demonstrations. Delhi Police has asked DMRC to take appropriate measures in view of the anticipated situation.
