Mandi House, Central Secretariat Metro stations reopen, others stay shut for 3rd day

Mandi House and Central Secretariat metro stations reopened on Friday evening after fresh closures linked to the CJP protest near Jantar Mantar. Fifteen other central Delhi stations stayed shut, extending commuter hardship and legal access concerns.

In Short

• 15 other central Delhi stations remained closed for 3rd day amid CJP protest
• New Delhi metro station closed earlier today; total 18 stations shut
• Closures disrupted travel for office-goers, students and lawyers

Entry gates at Mandi House and Central Secretariat metro stations were reopened on Friday evening, but 15 other stations in central Delhi remained shut for the third straight day amid security concerns linked to the ongoing Cockroach Janta Party protest near Jantar Mantar.

Earlier in the day, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation said 17 stations would remain closed from 7.30 am until further orders. Later, New Delhi metro station was also shut, taking the total number of closed stations to 18. The interchange facility, however, continued at Rajiv Chowk, Mandi House and Central Secretariat.

The stations announced as closed on Friday morning were Lok Kalyan Marg, Rajiv Chowk, Patel Chowk, Ramakrishna Ashram Marg, Barakhambha Road, Supreme Court, Seva Teerth, Janpath, Mandi House, Central Secretariat, ITO, Delhi Gate, Indraprastha, Khan Market, Jor Bagh, Shivaji Stadium and Jhandewalan. Hours later, New Delhi metro station was also closed.

At Janpath metro station, the closest station to the protest site at Jantar Mantar, CISF personnel covered glass panels at the entry with newspapers after protesters drew graffiti on parts of the protest venue.

The 17 stations had also remained shut on Wednesday and Thursday. While entry gates at Rajiv Chowk, Mandi House and Central Secretariat were reopened late on Thursday after being closed for around 14 hours, they were shut again from Friday morning.

Later on Friday, entry gates at Mandi House and Central Secretariat were reopened, while the remaining 15 stations continued to stay closed. The prolonged closure has disrupted travel for office-goers, students and lawyers, with commuters in central Delhi facing delays and depending on road transport.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court Bar Association moved the apex court, saying the closure of several metro stations had made it difficult for lawyers and litigants to reach the Supreme Court.

With two stations reopened by Friday evening, restrictions partly eased, but a large number of metro stations in central Delhi remained shut for the third consecutive day, continuing to affect daily travel in the area.

- Ends