New Delhi, Jul 22 (PTI) Thousands of office-goers, students and other commuters were stranded as 16 Delhi Metro stations remained closed for around eight hours on Wednesday due to security reasons amid the ongoing Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) had shut the 16 stations in the morning and added Jhandewalan to the list in the afternoon. The exit gates of the stations were opened in the evening.
The closures came amid the ongoing CJP protest that saw greater participation on Wednesday in comparison to Tuesday.
Opposition leaders slammed the BJP-led government, saying it should have addressed the students instead of closing metro stations.
For many commuters, it was the second major disruption within a week after a similar shutdown on Monday. Passengers said trains continued to run on several stretches but skipped the closed stations, forcing them to travel beyond their destinations and retrace their journey by road.
Vrinda, a commuter travelling through Central Secretariat, said the protesters had gathered near the station premises, leading to confusion among passengers.
“The Central Secretariat metro station was taken over by protesters. Several of them had gathered near the exit and were chanting Vande Mataram. There was a lot of uncertainty and people did not know whether they would be able to leave the station,” she said.
Another passenger travelling on the Yellow Line of the Delhi Metro said announcements inside the train informed commuters that they would not be allowed to deboard at the stations between Delhi Gate and Khan Market.
“We were not allowed to get off the train between Delhi Gate and Khan Market. People are getting stranded here without any prior notice. It is utter chaos,” he said.
Several commuters said they were delayed for work, college and other appointments after discovering that their destination stations were shut. Many were seen checking navigation apps, calling family members and booking cabs outside operational stations, while there were long queues at bus stops and autorickshaw stands.
“I had an important class this morning but I had to get off much before my destination and now, I am trying to find another way to reach college,” said a student waiting outside an operational metro station.
There was also a surge in online cab booking.
Kajal, who was travelling from Janpath to Parliament Street, said she was charged Rs 150 by an autorickshaw driver for a stretch where the fare is usually Rs 60.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal said closing metro stations was wrong and attempts to stop students and protesters would only strengthen the movement.
“Even if you close all the metro stations, they will walk. These are young people. It will be good for the government to listen to these young protesters,” the former Delhi chief minister said, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre of trying to suppress the movement instead of addressing the demands of the students.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also criticised the government’s handling of the situation, saying it should have engaged with the students instead of closing metro-station exits.
“That was really a bad idea. It was really very badly done. Walloping students like this in the middle of the street…. This is just shocking. And honestly, I just don’t understand the government’s attitude to all of this,” he said.
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra criticised the decision to shut the gates of metro stations.
“Is this what the world’s largest democracy looks like?” she asked.
Almost eight hours after the DMRC announced the closure, it said all stations were open.
The stations that were closed during the day were Lok Kalyan Marg, Rajiv Chowk, Patel Chowk, Ramakrishna Ashram Marg, Barakhamba Road, Supreme Court, Seva Teerth, Janpath, Mandi House, Central Secretariat, ITO, Delhi Gate, Indraprastha, Khan Market, Jor Bagh, Shivaji Stadium and Jhandewalan. Interchange facilities, however, remained available at Rajiv Chowk, Mandi House and Central Secretariat.
The sit-in at Jantar Mantar is continuing after Monday’s police crackdown on the CJP-led “Sansad Chalo” march, when police lathicharged and tear-gassed the protesters as they attempted to march towards Parliament on the first day of the Monsoon session. PTI SHB RC
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