Repeated closures of metro stations and transport disruptions imposed by authorities in response to the Jantar Mantar protest have triggered backlash from commuters, who took to social media to question why thousands of daily travellers were being inconvenienced.
This comes amid the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) announcing on Friday the closure of the New Delhi metro station till further orders, adding to the disruption caused by the shutdown of 17 metro stations in central Delhi for the third consecutive day.
The DMRC said in a post on X that the New Delhi metro station had been closed till further instructions and that no interchange facility would be available at the station.
The latest closure comes even as 17 metro stations in central Delhi remained shut from 7.30 am on Friday due to security reasons.
The closure of the New Delhi metro station, a key interchange connecting the Yellow Line and the Airport Express Line and providing direct access to the New Delhi Railway Station, is expected to inconvenience thousands of daily commuters and rail passengers.
Soon after the announcement, several users took to X to question the decision, with many expressing concern over the impact on office-goers, students and travellers, while others apprehended a spike in app-based cab fares.
Reacting to the DMRC’s late Thursday night announcement that 16 stations would remain closed on Friday, one user wrote, “The easiest way to handle a protest is to make ordinary citizens suffer.”
Several users questioned why daily commuters travelling to offices, schools and hospitals were being inconvenienced, arguing that the restrictions would not deter protesters from reaching Jantar Mantar.
Some also sought an explanation for the repeated closure of metro stations.
Tagging the DMRC, one user wrote, “Are you running DMRC at your expense or public taxpayer money? Kindly give us a valid ground for the closure of these stations.”
The closure of the New Delhi metro station on Friday afternoon triggered another wave of criticism online.
While some users described the move as an “atrocity”, others said the closure would force passengers to depend on cabs, leading to higher travel costs due to surge pricing. Some also demanded that offices allow employees to work from home in view of the disruption.
“This is a public service. What alternative transport options have you made available? Taxpayers have the right to ask,” one user posted.
Another user said, “Closing New Delhi Metro station will make travel much harder for thousands of passengers heading to the railway station and the Airport Express. Many people may now have no option but to book cabs, and surge pricing is likely to make travel much more expensive.”
A third comment read, “Why not declare a curfew in the New Delhi area? What is this sadistic pleasure of asking people to come to the office and making them suffer by blocking avenues for them to reach the workplace?”
The DMRC has maintained that the station closures are being implemented due to security reasons and will remain in force until further instructions.
