The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has closed entry and exit at 11 stations in central Delhi until further notice, ahead of a protest call at Jantar Mantar on Friday against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
In a service update on X, the DMRC listed the affected stations:
Interchange facilities will remain available at Rajiv Chowk, Mandi House, INA, New Delhi and Central Secretariat, so commuters can still change lines at these stations.
The closures come a day when activists, student leaders, opposition parties and civil society representatives have called for a gathering at Jantar Mantar at 11 am.
The protesters are demanding accountability from the CEC and objecting to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Groups including the All India Students' Association and the Aam Aadmi Party are among those backing the call, and AISA has sought Kumar's removal.
Delhi Police have denied permission for any protest at Jantar Mantar on October 2, which is also Gandhi Jayanti.
Prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita are in force across the New Delhi district. Police and Rapid Action Force personnel, along with a riot control vehicle, have been deployed at the site.
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The Delhi Traffic Police have also announced diversions and regulated movement around Connaught Place, Patel Chowk, GPO, Tolstoy Marg, Jantar Mantar Road and Parliament Street. Separate traffic arrangements are in place in central Delhi from 5 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Commuters have been advised to plan their journeys accordingly, as the closures cover several of the busiest stations serving the heart of the capital.The DMRC has not said when the stations will reopen.
The SIR, under which electoral rolls are being revised, has become a flashpoint between the opposition and the Election Commission, with critics questioning the process and demanding accountability from its leadership.
The Election Commission has not responded to the latest protest call so far.
Commuters travelling to or through central Delhi are advised to check DMRC's official channels for updates and consider alternative stations until services are restored.
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