Commuters across the national capital faced extended travel disruptions on Saturday as the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) announced the continued closure of entry and exit gates at 45 metro stations until 10 pm.
The sweeping service alteration came amid a massive security clampdown prompted by a demonstration called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).
The demonstration was organised to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. Protesters have accused the poll panel chief of masterminding voter-list manipulation during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alongside various irregularities concerning Form 6, which is utilised for voter registration.
Initially scheduled to lift at 6 pm, the transit restrictions were prolonged by four hours in a revised service update issued by the DMRC following security assessments. Authorities noted that the ongoing situation will remain under close review by security agencies, with further service modifications to be communicated as conditions evolve.
The stringent security protocol first took effect at 9 pm on Friday, enacted upon an urgent request from the Delhi Police to prevent heavy crowd mobilisation toward sensitive locations. Though authorities slightly trimmed the list from an initial 57 stations down to 45 following previous advisories, major transit points remain heavily impacted.
The affected network includes vital interchange and commuter hubs such as Rajiv Chowk, Central Secretariat, Patel Chowk, Janpath, Mandi House, ITO, Kashmere Gate, and New Delhi. While interchange facilities generally remained accessible at most affected stations under prior guidelines, the New Delhi metro station remained a complete exception with strict entry-exit blocks.
As security forces maintain a heavy presence across central Delhi to manage the demonstration and prevent large-scale disruptions, commuters have been strongly advised to check updated transit advisories before planning their journeys.
