Entry and exit gates at Lok Kalyan Marg Metro Station, Gate no. 3 of Patel Chowk Metro Station and Gate no. 5 of Central Secretariat Metro Station will remain closed due to security reasons until further notice.
Tension escalated in the national capital on March 26 as Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supporters took to the streets to protest against the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The Delhi Police promptly detained several protesters, including Punjab Minister and AAP leader Harjot Singh Bains, outside the Patel Chowk metro station.
Before the planned protest, the Delhi Police issued warnings and imposed restrictions on public gatherings. Announcements were made outside the Patel Chowk Metro station, indicating that no permission had been granted for protests, and Section 144 of the CrPC, which prohibits the assembly of four or more people, had been invoked. The police ordered the area to be cleared within five minutes.
The heightened security measures were in response to AAP’s call for a “gherao” (encirclement) protest at the Prime Minister’s residence, demanding Kejriwal’s release from custody. Paramilitary personnel in anti-riot gear were deployed on the road leading to the Prime Minister’s residence and outside the Patel Chowk metro station.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Devesh Kumar Mahla reiterated that no permission had been granted for the protest, stating, “We have made sufficient deployment at the PM residence and Patel Chowk metro station to maintain law and order. No march or demonstration will be allowed. No routes diversions done.”
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also staged a counter-protest in the national capital, demanding Kejriwal’s resignation as Chief Minister. BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa accused the AAP of attempting to divert attention from the alleged liquor policy scam and claimed that Kejriwal was “doing drama from the ED custody.”
In anticipation of the protests, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) announced the closure of the Lok Kalyan Marg Metro Station until further notice. Additionally, gate no. 3 of Patel Chowk Metro Station and gate no. 5 of Central Secretariat Metro Station were also closed.
The tensions surrounding Kejriwal’s arrest stem from the Delhi Excise Policy case, in which he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 on charges of alleged irregularities and money laundering. The case pertains to the framing and implementation of the Delhi excise policy in 2022, which was later scrapped.
As the political drama unfolds, both the AAP and the BJP have called for rallies and protests, raising concerns about potential clashes and disruptions in the national capital.
