The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that the October 10 protests against chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar had an adverse impact on the lives of ordinary citizens, with ridership falling by nearly 45% as many commuters chose not to travel, even as all scheduled train services continued to operate.
The clarification comes amid contempt proceedings initiated by the top court over restrictions imposed on Metro and railway services ahead of the protest at Jantar Mantar, called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) to demand Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls. The authorities were directed to file their responses and compliance reports. It further contended that the police had adopted a calibrated approach at sensitive stations, with passenger exits facilitated even where incoming movement was regulated. The court clarified that there should be no outright prohibition on the movement of Metro trains and other rail services, and asked the authorities to ensure regulated operations and wide publicity of the arrangements to prevent inconvenience to the public.
The affidavit, filed in response to the Supreme Court’s directions on October 9, seeks to counter allegations that public transport was shut down in defiance of the court’s order. The corporation maintained that there was no reduction in the number of Metro train trips on the day, with 271 trains inducted into service and all 4,157 scheduled trips operated across the network. The DMRC’s affidavit, submitted through its general manager, said the Metro network comprises 303 stations, of which entry and exit gates at 45 were restricted on October 10 following directions from the Delhi Police. The original police communication had proposed restrictions at 57 stations, but the number was reduced after the Supreme Court’s intervention on October 9 and a subsequent reassessment of security requirements. The October 9 order followed concerns raised before the Supreme Court that directions issued by the authorities ahead of the protest contemplated cessation or cancellation of Metro services and several trains arriving at New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin railway stations.
The corporation said the restrictions were imposed in accordance with assessments and directions issued by law enforcement agencies, and did not amount to a complete ban on public transportation, as alleged before the court. On Sunday, a bench of justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana issued notices to Union home secretary Govind Mohan, Delhi police commissioner Anurag Kumar and DMRC chairperson D Thara, holding that a prima facie case in the contempt pleas against them had been made out.
