Sixteen metro stations shut amid security buildup for Jantar Mantar protest; interchange facilities remain open

According to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, stations that have been closed till further instructions include 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 and Shivaji Stadium.

However, Interchange facility shall remain available at Rajiv Chowk, Mandi House and Central Secretariat.

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, in a post on X, detailed the specific locations affected by the security protocols and clarified how passenger transfers will function.

The shutdown comes on the third day of the Parliament's Monsoon Session as all sixteen metro stations sit in the close vicinity of Jantar Mantar and the Parliament complex.

Similarly, on Sunday morning, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) announced the closure of five central Delhi stations, Janpath, Rajiv Chowk, Patel Chowk, Central Secretariat and Seva Teerth, "due to security reasons."

With the CJP calling for its "Chalo Sansad" march, Delhi Police heightened security measures near the premises in view of the Monsoon Session.

Several personnel from the Rapid Action Force were stationed nearby to address both the CJP protest march and the upcoming session.

As security rises, the CJP continued to stage its protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.

According to the Delhi Police, the organisation is yet to approach them to seek official clearance for this march. The march had earlier been announced by the actvist Sonam Wangchuk, who was moved to hospital on Saturday morning.

On Monday, Delhi Police issued an advisory clarifying that no permission has been sought or granted for any proposed march to Parliament by the CJP, warning that strict action will be taken against anyone violating prohibitory orders in the New Delhi district.

In a statement, Delhi Police said prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), corresponding to the erstwhile Section 144 of the CrPC, remain in force in the New Delhi district.

According to the advisory, protest marches, processions, demonstrations and assemblies of five or more persons are prohibited, except at the designated protest site at Jantar Mantar with prior permission.

Earlier, Sonam Wangchuk said he would end his hunger strike if the government accepts accountability for recent failures in the education system, including paper leaks, or if Members of Parliament assure him that the issue of education accountability will be taken up during the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

The demonstrations trace back to June, when the protest began at Jantar Mantar over an alleged paper leak in the NEET-UG 2026 examination, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The movement gained national traction after activist Sonam Wangchuk joined the protest site in late June and launched an indefinite hunger strike. (ANI)