Delhi Metro Gates Closed As Thousands Gather At Jantar Mantar For Protest

Thousands of protesters gathered at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi today at 9:00 AM for the Cockroach Janta Party's "Chalo Sansad" march to Parliament, prompting the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation to temporarily close gates at several key metro stations including Janpath, Rajiv Chowk, and Patel Chowk. The demonstrators assembled to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET UG paper leak and other exam irregularities.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) initially shut the gates for Janpath, Rajiv Chowk, Patel Chowk, Central Secretariat, and Seva Teerth metro stations until further instructions. According to updates shared by the Cockroach Janta Party team shortly before the DMRC's announcement, several of these metro stations were closed as the protesters made their way to Jantar Mantar to begin the "Chalo Sansad" march.

Following the brief halt in operations, the DMRC issued a subsequent update stating that the interchange facilities and gates at both the Rajiv Chowk and Central Secretariat metro stations had been reopened to the public.

The demonstration was called by the Cockroach Janta Party along with climate activist, innovator, and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk. Wangchuk, who is currently on an indefinite hunger strike, could not attend the march as he is admitted to a hospital in Safdarjung. Authorities had forcibly removed him from the protest site over the weekend.

The action to remove Wangchuk from the site was taken by authorities following a Delhi High Court order. The court order specifically allowed officials to intervene in the hunger strike if Wangchuk's health deteriorated.

Thousands of supporters still gathered to participate in the march to Parliament, leading to the temporary closure of the various metro station gates across the city's transit network before some services resumed.