New Delhi: A continuous protest by students under the banner of the ‘Cockroach Janata Party’ (CJP) had led to the closure of several metro stations across Delhi. The government agreed to two demands, including the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradha,,n prompting the CJP to call off the protest. Four days later, the Delhi Metro announced the reopening of all stations.
Commuters will now find it easier to travel their usual routes. On Sunday, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) restored normal entry and exit operations for passengers at all stations. Meanwhile, most of the protesting students have returned home; large crowds of students had been a common sight in Delhi over the past month.
Disruption Caused by the Closure of 18 Metro Stations
Due to the protest at Jantar Mantar, the Delhi Metro had suspended access at 18 key stations across the capital. These included Rajiv Chowk, Mandi House, Central Secretariat, Janpath, Patel Chowk, Lok Kalyan Marg, New Delhi, Shivaji Stadium, Jhandewalan, Ramakrishna Ashram Marg, Barakhamba Road, Supreme Court, ITO, Delhi Gate, Indraprastha, Khan Market, Jor Bagh, and Sewa Tirath.
While train operations continued through these stations, passenger entry and exit were completely prohibited. This caused significant inconvenience to commuters. People travelling for work or other purposes had to rely on alternative modes of transport, leading to increased traffic pressure on the roads and subsequent traffic jams.
Good News Shared via Social Media
On Saturday, the DMRC shared a major update on the social media platform X. They announced that entry and exit gates at all stations across the Delhi Metro network had been opened for passengers, and metro services across the entire network had returned to normal.
With the reopening of the stations, passenger movement resumed at busy hubs like Rajiv Chowk, Central Secretariat, Mandi House, and New Delhi. After several days, the usual bustle returned to these stations; ticket counters and AFC gates became operational again, bringing relief to commuters.
Government Accedes to All CJP Demands
It is worth noting that the central government has accepted all the demands made by the ‘Cockroach Janata Party’ (CJP). The CJP’s primary demand was the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, while the second demand called for the withdrawal of cases filed against students in states governed by the BJP or its allies.
Additionally, an agreement was reached regarding compensation for students who died by suicide due to the distress caused by the NEET paper leak. The government accepted all three demands. A joint press conference was held by the government and the CJP to announce that a consensus had been reached. Following this, an appeal was made to all students to return home peacefully.
