The Supreme Court on Friday raised concerns over the closure of Metro station entry gates of 57 metro stations ahead of the October 10 Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest, warning that the move could disrupt travel for thousands of commuters, including students, employees and senior citizens travelling from Gurugram, Greater Noida and other parts of Delhi-NCR.
Delhi Police has also issued an open letter to citizens ahead of the protest. Meanwhile, the government has alleged that female police officers were molested during a protest led by Rahul Gandhi. The allegation has emerged amid the wider debate over demonstrations and law-and-order arrangements in the capital. The Supreme Court’s observations underline the need to balance security preparations with the public’s right to use essential transport facilities ahead of the planned protest.
Questioning the decision, the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant said, “Everybody does not have a car… You cannot bring everything to a halt and leave people without any transport facility. Mehta told the court that he would consult the government on the proposed closure of Metro station entry gates. During the hearing on petitions challenging restrictions imposed ahead of the protest, the court observed that the government was entitled to introduce regulatory measures but could not use security concerns as a reason to bring all activities to a standstill. However, he pointed out that CCTV cameras were installed at railway and Metro stations and that other security measures could also be considered. Ordinary citizens, he stressed, must retain access to public transport.
