Chaos reigned the streets of central Delhi for another day in a row with 17 metro stations shut down once again, extensive barricading, and huge crowds thronging to the protest site at Jantar Mantar.
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The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) posted on X at 6.55 am that Lok Kalyan Marg, Rajiv Chowk, Patel Chowk, Ramakrishna Ashram Marg, Barakhambha Road, Supreme Court, Seva Teerth, Janpath, Mandi House, Central Secretariat, ITO, Delhi Gate, Indraprastha, Khan Market, Jor Bagh, and Shivaji Stadium. At 1.14 pm, DMRC said on X that Jhandewalan metro station was also shut till further notice.
Late at night, around 9.10 pm, entry gates for Mandi House, Rajiv Chowk and Central Secretariat metro stations were opened, while in a post on X, DMRC said the stations would remain shut on Friday as well. Thousands of people use these routes daily, including those who work in the many offices, shops, courts, media houses, and hotels, government institutions, and other establishments in the area.
Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant had said the Supreme Court may take up on the judicial side the issue, particularly the one near the court if the authorities fail to find a solution to the difficulties being faced by lawyers and court staff in reaching the court.
The metro closures added to the inconvenience commuters have been experiencing since Monday when new security measures were introduced with the start of the Monsoon Session of the Parliament. On the ground, with Sansad Marg and Tolstoy Marg off-limits through, the day as thousands of protesters gathered at the two roads around Jantar Mantar, congestion was reported on on the India Gate Circle, Connaught Place Circle, Ashoka Road, Akbar Road, Janpath Road, Braakhambha Road, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, and Maulana Azad Road, said a traffic police officer.
“Traffic was also heavy on the Mathura Road, Aurobindo Marg, the Ring Road and other key routes in south Delhi. Traffic personnel in sufficient numbers were deployed on the affected routes to regulate the vehicular movement manually,” said the officer.
At at least two locations —Zakir Hussain Marg and near Lodhi Road — HT witnessed Delhi Police personnel stopping autorickshaws ferrying young people in what appeared to be an attempt to keep them from reaching the protest site.
Responding to the allegations, a senior police officer, who did not want to be identified said, “We are not stopping anyone but are taking precautionary measures to ensure no anti-social elements reach the protest venue and disturb peace and law and order. Police personnel are only trying to stop people carrying sticks, swords and other lethal objects from entering the protest site.”
