Delhi Metro closed five stations across the national capital on Monday morning ahead of the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) protest march to Parliament, leaving hundreds of commuters stranded and forcing many onto longer alternate routes.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) shut Rajiv Chowk, Janpath, Patel Chowk, Central Secretariat, and Seva Teerth stations "until further instructions," citing security concerns. Rajiv Chowk, one of the capital's busiest interchange stations, saw commuters crowding near locked entry and exit gates, while videos circulating on social media showed passengers climbing over barricades to exit after access points were sealed. At Patel Chowk, security personnel used mild force to disperse people trying to reach the CJP's protest site at Jantar Mantar.
Outside Janpath station, students and office-goers gathered near shut gates, uncertain of what was happening or how to reroute. One commuter said the closure would add another 30-40 minutes to his commute, while a college student described finding the gates locked without warning, leaving her and her classmates scrambling to figure out an alternate way to college. Many were seen checking navigation apps and seeking directions from metro staff and police as confusion spread through the affected stations.
The closures come amid heightened security arrangements for the CJP's planned march to Parliament, part of the wider protest movement that has grown around activist Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike and demands for education reform.
Similar metro station closures have been implemented during previous protests in Delhi to support security arrangements around government buildings.