In a significant development following intense student demonstrations in the national capital, several key Delhi Metro stations have begun to reopen for the public. The Delhi Police has issued a formal appeal to all protesters, requesting them to vacate the protest sites and return to their homes. This move comes after a period of heightened tension where a total of 18 metro stations were initially closed to manage the crowd and maintain security. The authorities had previously advised citizens to avoid unnecessary travel on the roads of Delhi to prevent further congestion and potential security risks during the ongoing demonstrations.
Partial Reopening of Metro Services
According to the latest updates from the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), entry and exit gates at three major interchange stations have been restored. These stations include Rajiv Chowk, Central Secretariat, and Mandi House. The reopening of these hubs is expected to provide significant relief to commuters, as these stations serve as vital links for various metro lines. The DMRC confirmed that interchange facilities are also fully operational at these locations, allowing passengers to switch between different lines without hindrance. However, the situation remains partially restricted as the remaining 15 stations that were closed earlier on Saturday morning continue to be shut for the public.
Status of Closed Stations
Despite the reopening of the three major hubs, a large number of stations remain under restriction to ensure safety. The list of stations where entry and exit are still prohibited includes Lok Kalyan Marg, Patel Chowk, Ramakrishna Ashram Marg, Barakhamba Road, Supreme Court, Seva Tirth, Janpath, ITO, Delhi Gate, Indraprastha, Khan Market, Jor Bagh, Shivaji Stadium, Jhandewalan, and New Delhi. These closures were part of a series of orders issued by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation over the last four days, specifically in response to the protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party at Jantar Mantar. The government and security agencies have maintained these restrictions to prevent large gatherings in Central Delhi and to ensure that the law and order situation doesn’t deteriorate further.
Police Appeal and Security Measures
Devesh Chandra Srivastava, the Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), has been closely monitoring the situation. He stated that the police are observing the movement of people as they begin to leave the protest sites. Srivastava emphasized the need for calm, saying, “We’re currently monitoring the dispersal of the crowd. People have already started moving away. We request everyone to remain calm and depart peacefully. We also appeal to all citizens not to create any law and order issues, while ” The police have been deployed in large numbers across Central Delhi, particularly near Jantar Mantar, where the Cockroach Janta Party has been leading the demonstrations. To further manage the situation, the government had also requested food delivery and online cab service providers to limit their operations in these sensitive areas.
Resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan
In a major political development linked to the protests, Dharmendra Pradhan has resigned from his position as the Union Education Minister, while explaining his decision, Pradhan stated that he’s taking this step in the best interest of the students. He expressed his hope that his resignation would encourage the protesting students to end their demonstrations, return home, and focus on building their careers. Following his announcement, he also updated his social media profile on X (formerly Twitter) by removing the title of Education Minister, while while the official confirmation of the acceptance of his resignation is still pending, it’s reported that high-level discussions are currently underway. A meeting is taking place between the leadership of the Cockroach Janta Party and Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh. It’s expected that the official confirmation of the resignation will be made after this meeting concludes, which may also lead to the Cockroach Janta Party announcing the end of their sit-in protest.
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