Citizenship Act: DMRC Closes Gates Of Rajiv Chowk And Several Other Metro Stations In View Of Protest

Amid growing protests in the different parts of the city, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Friday closed the entry and exit gates of Rajiv Chowk and several other metro stations. Earlier today, hours after throwing open Jamia Millia Islamia and Jasola Vihar Shaheen Bagh metro stations in Delhi, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) closed three metro stations in view of protest in the national capital against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. "Entry and exit gates of Chawri Bazar, Lal Quila, and Jama Masjid are closed. Trains will not halt at these stations," the DMRC tweeted.

Jamia Millia Islamia and Jasola Vihar Shaheen Bagh metro stations were opened today morning, around 24 hours after they were shut in view of protests in the city against the amended Citizenship Act. Meanwhile, the Delhi Police has tightened security in the Northeast area of the national capital in view of violent protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act. The city police is using drones to keep a watch on the situation as section 144 has been imposed in 12 out of 14 police stations of Northeast. "Sufficient force has been deployed including 10 companies of CRPF and RAF in Northeast district.

We've held many rounds of meeting with locals and deployed drones, anti-riot gear to deal with any kind of situation," Joint Commissioner of Police Alok Kumar said. Meanwhile, the city police has denied permission to Bhim Army to take out a protest march on Friday from Jama Masjid to Jantar Mantar against the amended citizenship law.

The march was expected to see the participation of students from Jawaharlal Nehru University and Jamia Millia Islamia. Prohibitory orders under CrPC Section 144 are in place near the Red Fort area since Thursday, prohibiting an assembly of four or more people. Thousands of students, activists and opposition leaders hit the streets in the national capital on Thursday, defying heavy security clampdown and prohibitory orders even as authorities suspended mobile internet services and restricted traffic movement to quell the swirling agitation.

Opposition leaders D Raja, Sitaram Yechury, Nilotpal Basu, Brinda Karat, Ajay Maken, Sandeep Dikshit and activists Yogendra Yadav, Umar Khalid were among over 1,200 people detained from areas around Red Fort and Mandi House -- the sites of the two planned demonstrations.

Earlier, drones were also used by the police in the Seelampur area that witnessed violence and arson on Tuesday, to identify ‘miscreants’.