NEW DELHI: Delhi has tightened restrictions ahead of the CJP-led protest against the Election Commission on October 10, with proposed metro station closures, train cancellations, liquor shop closures and police outreach to activists and students adding to concerns over the scale of the measures.
The Delhi Police has contacted social workers and activists to enquire about their plans for Saturday and advised students against participating in the demonstration. Police announcements in mosques, urging people not to join the protest, have also been reported. A video showing a police personnel reading out an advisory in a mosque in Old Delhi went viral on Thursday evening.
The Delhi Police has written to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), seeking the closure of entry and exit gates at 57 metro stations from 9 pm on October 9. The restrictions are proposed to continue on October 10 until the situation normalises. The police has also sought a reduction in the frequency of metro trains passing through the identified stations, citing the possibility of unlawful movement towards sensitive locations.
The list includes stations in central Delhi and near key government establishments, including Rajiv Chowk, Central Secretariat, Patel Chowk, Janpath, Mandi House, ITO, Supreme Court, Indraprastha and Kashmere Gate, as well as stations in south, north and east Delhi.
Several Mail and Express trains arriving in Delhi and at Hazrat Nizamuddin have been cancelled for October 10 between 4 am and 2 pm, according to a Railway notification issued on Friday morning. Several trains from Uttar Pradesh are expected to be affected.
Reports of liquor shops being ordered to remain closed for two days and detention centres being prepared have added to concerns over the restrictions. Possible curbs on app-based cab services are also being discussed. However, the reported preparations of detention centres could not be independently confirmed.
The government has also asked social media companies to act against unlawful content linked to the protests.
Student organisations, including AISF, SFI and ASAP, along with the CJP, have claimed that more than 1,000 people have been detained across several states. The figures could not be independently verified. The organisations alleged that the detentions and police warnings were aimed at preventing people from reaching Delhi for the protest.
The protest has been called by the CJP and student organisations over concerns surrounding the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The groups have urged people from across the country to travel to Delhi, with nearly 12 left student organisations joining the mobilisation.