SC urges Delhi government to ensure public transport is not brought to a halt ahead of CJP protest

The Supreme Court on Friday expressed concern over restrictions on public transport ahead of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest in Delhi on October 10, directing authorities to ensure that commuters are not inconvenienced by sweeping security measures.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana urged the government to follow the principle of proportionality while taking preventive measures.

“We are mainly concerned about the complete closure of metro station entries; we have serious concerns about this,” the bench said, asking authorities to take corrective steps keeping commuters’ difficulties in mind.

Chief Justice Surya Kant said the court’s concern was not about protesters or individuals but the thousands of students, employees and senior citizens travelling to Delhi from Gurugram, Greater Noida and different parts of the capital for their livelihoods.

“Everybody does not have a car. Everybody does not have access to private transport. People depend on public transport. This cannot be done,” he said, adding that authorities could regulate unruly movement without bringing the entire transport system to a halt.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta assured the court that he would discuss the matter with the government and ensure proportionate measures were adopted.

The observations came after senior advocates Kapil Sibal, AM Singhvi, Gopal Sankaranarayanan, Nithya Ramakrishnan, Prashant Bhushan and Vrinda Grover raised concerns over what they described as disproportionate restrictions.

According to a police order, 57 Delhi Metro stations were scheduled to close from 9 pm on Friday until the situation normalised. Trains to New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin stations were also cancelled, while large numbers of security personnel were deployed.

The bench initially indicated that it could consider intervening if the protest organisers approached it. Justice Bagchi said authorities could assess the expected turnout and calibrate their response rather than impose broad restrictions.

Mehta said the measures were intended to prevent unlawful activity. The lawyers argued that peaceful protest should not lead to restrictions affecting the entire city. Justice Bagchi said the right to protest remained, while noting that organisers could face prosecution if their actions violated the law.