Delhi. The Supreme Court has made an important comment on the issue of closing metro stations in Delhi and banning rail services in view of the proposed demonstration of Cockroach Janata Party (CJP). The top court said that “a hammer should not be used to kill flies.” The court clarified that there is a difference between completely stopping the movement of metro and other trains and controlling their operations.
Public transport cannot be stopped completely
During the hearing, the Supreme Court said that not every person has his own car. A large number of people depend on public transport for daily commuting. In such a situation, it would not be appropriate to completely stop the movement of metro and trains. The court directed the Central Government to take appropriate decisions to ensure that movement of people through metro and trains does not come to a complete halt. The emphasis of the apex court's comment was that necessary steps can be taken to maintain security, but the movement of common people should not be completely disrupted.
There was a proposal to close metro stations due to the demonstration
CJP had announced a protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on October 10 demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists. In view of this demonstration, Delhi Police had requested Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to close the entry and exit gates of 57 metro stations. The police had proposed this step with the aim of maintaining law and order and controlling the movement of protesters.
Questions raised even on cancellation of trains
In view of the protest, the Railway Board had decided to cancel some mail and express trains reaching New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin from their origin stations between 4 am and 2 pm on October 10. Amidst this development, the Supreme Court clarified the difference between completely shutting down public transport and controlling its movement. The message conveyed by the court's comments was that security concerns should be addressed in such a way that common passengers do not face unnecessary inconvenience.
Emphasis on convenience of common passengers
Underlining the needs of people dependent on public transport, the top court said that metro and train services cannot be completely stopped. The Central Government has been instructed to take appropriate decisions in this regard. The main message of the court's comment is that measures to maintain law and order are necessary, but they should not completely hamper the movement of common people.
38 trains coming to Delhi canceled
According to railway officials, this decision has been taken in view of the possible traffic jam in the capital and the possibility of problems during the protest. According to the Railways release, the respective mail and express trains leaving their origin stations after 2 pm on Friday and reaching New Delhi or Hazrat Nizamuddin between 4 am and 2 pm on Saturday will remain cancelled. A total of 38 trains leaving for Delhi from different stations will be affected by this decision. In such a situation, passengers are advised to check their train number and its latest status through the official channels of Railways before reaching the station.