India, July 22 -- Thousands of office-goers, students and other commuters were stranded as 16 Delhi Metro stations remained closed for around eight hours on Wednesday due to security reasons amid the ongoing Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) had shut the 16 stations in the morning and added Jhandewalan to the list in the afternoon. The exit gates of the stations were opened in the evening. The closures came amid the ongoing CJP protest that saw greater participation on Wednesday in comparison to Tuesday. Opposition leaders slammed the BJP-led government, saying it should have addressed the students instead of closing metro stations. For many commuters, it was the second major disruption within a week after a similar shutdown on Monday. Passengers said trains continued to run on several stretches but skipped the closed stations, forcing them to travel beyond their destinations and retrace their journey by road. Vrinda, a commuter travelling through Central Secretariat, said the protesters had gathered near the station premises, leading to confusion among passengers. There was also a surge in online cab booking.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.