Delhi protests causing transportation and internet shutdowns

Protests in New Delhi have led to significant disruptions in the city’s transportation infrastructure. Initially, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation suspended entry and exit services at 11 stations, including Rajiv Chowk and New Delhi station, as a security measure following planned demonstrations at Jantar Mantar regarding the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner. During this period, Delhi Police implemented Section 163 of the BNSS to maintain order. Indian Railways and Northern Railway have since expanded cancellations and rescheduling for several major mail and express trains scheduled for October 9 and 10. The cancellations primarily impact services scheduled to arrive in Delhi between 4:00 AM and 2:00 PM on October 10, including the Mumbai Rajdhani Express, Tejas Rajdhani Express, Sampoorna Kranti Superfast Express, Amrit Bharat Express, Magadh Express, Prayagraj Express, and Sharm Shakti Express. These disruptions affect arrivals at New Delhi, Hazrat Nizamuddin, and Tilak Bridge stations. Recent reports indicate that hundreds of trains have been cancelled or rescheduled, with impacts felt across regions including Lucknow, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Agra, and Gwalior. Some express services have experienced delays of up to five hours. While authorities implemented these measures to prevent passengers from being stranded by anticipated road blockages from protests organized by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and groups like the All India Students Association (AISA), the decisions have faced criticism from railway unions and passenger organizations for causing significant inconvenience. In response to the proposed closures, the Supreme Court of India intervened, with Chief Justice Surya Kant advising the government to maintain services in an organized manner, stating, “one should not use a hammer to kill a fly.” Despite this, mobile internet services were suspended within a four-kilometer radius of the Janpath-Rajpath intersection from 10:00 PM on October 9 until 10:00 PM on October 10.