Trains to Delhi cancelled, metro shut even as Supreme Court tells Centre, cops to lift blanket curbs

Delhi authorities imposed unprecedented curbs on Friday, ordering 45 metro stations to close, halting mobile internet in central Delhi, cancelling trains, and deploying paramilitary reinforcements even though the Supreme Court directed the Centre and Delhi Police to lift blanket restrictions on public transport. The court noted that "you will not use a hammer to kill a fly".

Delhi Police denied the Cockroach Janta Party permission to protest at Jantar Mantar on Saturday, leading to a security operation that extended beyond the Capital. The youth-led movement, behind a major student protest, is demanding the Chief Election Commissioner step down over a Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Police cited "law and order problems" as the reason for the denial, citing concerns over compliance with police directions from a previous demonstration.

The party's founder accused the Centre of restricting public movement to keep demonstrators away. The railways cancelled nearly 40 out of 72 trains due at New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin stations, citing anticipated severe road traffic congestion, and scrapped most of them at their originating stations. The Delhi Metro initially announced 57 stations would close from 9pm on Friday, but the court later allowed most of them to reopen, with a few remaining closed till 6pm on Saturday.

Mobile internet services within a 4-km radius of Kartavya Path-Janpath intersection were suspended from 10pm on Friday to 10pm on Saturday. Delhi Traffic Police said it would divert vehicles at up to 30 points ringing central Delhi, effectively closing off all of central Delhi, and urged residents to avoid non-essential travel.