Delhi closes 57 Metro stations, suspends mobile internet ahead of CJP protest

Delhi Police suspended mobile internet services within a 4-km radius of the Janpath-Kartavya Path crossing until Saturday night ahead of the CJP protest. Security was tightened, with metro station closures and railway security reinforced

New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Friday announced a 24-hour suspension of mobile internet services within a 4-km radius of the Janpath-Kartavya Path crossing as part of heightened security arrangements ahead of the CJP protest.

The suspension, which began at 10 p.m. on Friday, will continue until 10 p.m. on Saturday, a police official said.

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The Delhi Police said permission for the proposed CJP demonstration had been denied because the organisers had failed to comply with legal directions and undertakings given during an earlier protest.

After obtaining approval from the Union Home Ministry for the suspension, Manishi Chandra, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Special Cell (HQ), wrote to nodal officers of telecom companies, asking them to implement the 24-hour curbs.

The letter stated that the Union Home Secretary had considered and approved the police request under sub-rule (1) of Rule 3 of the Telecommunications (Temporary Suspension of Services) Rules, 2024, read with Section 20(2)(b) of the Telecommunications Act, 2023.

The telecom operators were asked to enforce the restrictions within a 4-km radius of the Janpath-Kartavya Path crossing from 10 p.m. on Friday to 10 p.m. on Saturday.

The internet curbs came in addition to the closure of 57 Delhi Metro stations, which took effect at 9 p.m. on Friday.

The police said Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) was in force in the New Delhi area, with preventive restrictions imposed to maintain public order and safety.

A proposal to shut the metro stations had been sent to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) officials, an official said. The stations include Rajiv Chowk, Janpath, Patel Chowk, Central Secretariat, Lok Kalyan Marg, Supreme Court, Mandi House, Barakhamba Road, ITO, Delhi Gate, Kashmere Gate, Sarai Kale Khan-Nizamuddin, Lajpat Nagar, Jangpura, Vishwavidyalaya, Civil Lines, Okhla Vihar, Jamia Millia Islamia, Ashram, Rohini West, Welcome, Shalimar Bagh, Adarsh Nagar and Hauz Khas.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Railways) B. Bharat Reddy said 334 Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel had been deployed and 14 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) had been sought to strengthen security ahead of the CJP protest scheduled for Saturday at Jantar Mantar.

Speaking to IANS, Reddy said special security arrangements had been made at major railway stations to manage the movement of protesters arriving in Delhi by train.

“CJP has called for a protest at Jantar Mantar on October 10. For protesters coming to Delhi by train to participate in the demonstration, we have deployed 334 GRP personnel and sought 14 companies of the CAPF. The deployment will be round-the-clock. Delhi has seven major railway stations that receive the highest number of trains and witness the highest footfall,” he said.

Reddy added that security personnel would remain deployed round-the-clock at these stations.

Addressing concerns about travel disruptions, he said passengers whose trains had not been diverted and were scheduled to arrive at their designated stations would face no inconvenience