18 metro stations in the capital will remain closed on Saturday, extending the lockdown period that began at 7.30 am on Friday, officials from the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said late on Friday, as people continue to flock to Jantar Mantar to express their solidarity with the Janta Cockroach Party.
The 18 stations will remain closed from 7.30am on Saturday, officials said. These are located at Lok Kalyan Marg, Rajiv Chowk, Patel Chowk, Ramakrishna Ashram Marg, Barakhamba Road, Supreme Court, Siva Tirth, Janpath, Mandi House, Central Secretariat, ITO, Delhi Gate, Indraprastha, Khan Market, Jor Bagh, Shivaji Stadium, Gandhiwalan, New Delhi.
On Friday, the entry gates to Mandi House, Rajiv Chowk and Central Secretariat metro stations were opened by 9 pm.
In the evening people were seen struggling to get home, many walking while rickshaws charged exorbitant prices. Radhika Sahu, one of the participants, said it was easier to reach the protest site. “The internet is down so we cannot book any taxi. The metro stations are closed. They should at least allow buses to approach this area,” she added.
DMRC officials said this is perhaps one of the longest closures, in terms of hours of many metro stations.
“Although there are no records to show whether this is the longest and sustained closure over a period of time, it is possible that it will be one of the longest, if not the longest,” the official said.
Other stations were closed at 7.30 am today, while the New Delhi Metro station was closed later in the day.
