Anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests: Services at all Delhi Metro stations resume, traffic remains affected

New Delhi: Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Saturday informed that the entry and exit gates of all the metro stations have been opened and normal services will continue in all the metro stations. "Entry & exit gates at all stations have been opened. Normal services have resumed in all stations," the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation announced taking to micro-blogging site Twitter. 

Security Update

Entry & exit gates at all stations have been opened.

Normal services have resumed in all stations.

— Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (@OfficialDMRC) December 21, 2019

The metro services in the national capital continuously remained affected due to the ongoing massive protest against CAA and NRC at several places. On Friday (December 20) metro gates of nearly 16 stations including Central Secretariat, Chawri Bazar, Chandni Chowk, Rajiv Chowk, Delhi Gate, Lal Quila, Jama Masjid, Khan Market, Janpath, Pragati Maidan, Mandi House, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jaffrabad, Maujpur-Babarpur, Shiv Vihar, Johri Enclave were closed keeping as instructed by the Delhi police due to security concerns in the capital. However, the gates of all the stations except Jama Masjid were lately opened. 

Coming to the roadways, the diversion on Noida Kalindi Marg on Route 13A will also remain closed on Saturday in the wake of Anti-CAA protests, as directed by the Delhi Police. People are advised to take an alternate route via Delhi/Faridabad to avoid any kind of inconvenience. There is a traffic jam at NH 24 going towards Ashram. Traffic is halted at Maharani Bagh, Lajpat Nagar, Okhla and the ring road area.

Delhi police on Friday (December 20) detained 40 people who were protesting at New Delhi's Daryaganj area. The police also fired a water cannon to disperse crowds of some 6,000 protesters. On the street below Jama Masjid, Muslims were joined by people of other faiths, including a large number of people belonging to the minority group. 

Other than Delhi, the massive protests also rocked in Uttar Pradesh especially in areas of Ferozabad, Muzzafarnagar and Ghaziabad and Kanpur.  

From college students and academics to artists and opposition party workers, thousands of people have come out to protest against a law that many believe is part of an unspoken government agenda to divide India along communal lines.

Huge protests have been organized in India since the Parliament passed the Citizenship Amendment Bill two weeks ago. The agitation started from the northeast, particularly Assam and later hit different states. The Bill became an Act after President Ram Nath Kovind's nod.