Delhi Tense with Protests, 16 Metro Stations Closed

Thousands of young people have taken to the streets in India's capital, Delhi, demanding educational reforms and the resignation of the education minister. What began as a satirical online initiative, the "Cockroach Janata Party," has now transformed into one of the country's most talked-about movements.

Fearing escalating protests and a deterioration in the law and order situation in the capital, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has temporarily announced the closure of 16 vital metro stations.

Taking effect from Wednesday, July 22, the decision has caused severe commuting difficulties for office workers, students, and general passengers.

The closed stations include Lok Kalyan Marg, Rajiv Chowk, Patel Chowk, Ramakrishna Ashram Marg, Barakhamba Road, Supreme Court, Seva Teerth, Janpath, Mandi House, Central Secretariat, ITO, Delhi Gate, Indraprastha, Khan Market, Jor Bagh, and Shivaji Stadium.

Earlier on Monday and Tuesday, widespread tension gripped the country surrounding demonstrations and a parliament encirclement program organized by the Cockroach Janata Party.

Simultaneously, protests led by opposition parties including the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, and Samajwadi Party further heated up the situation. Additionally, demonstrations are underway in border areas by farmers from Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh protesting against the India-US agricultural agreement, alongside demands for the restoration of full statehood to Kashmir.

The metro stations have been shuttered to prevent outside demonstrators from joining the capital's internal protests and to regulate their movement. Extra police and paramilitary forces have been deployed around critical government buildings and sensitive areas.

The DMRC stated that while entry and exit points at the closed stations remain restricted for now, train operations along the respective routes will continue without stopping at these stations. Authorities have indicated that the stations will be reopened in phases once the situation is brought under control.