Ahead of the proposed protest by the Cockroach Janata Party at Jantar Mantar, several Delhi schools and colleges have shifted classes online, parent-teacher meetings have been rescheduled and examinations scheduled for October 10 have also been postponed, amid security concerns and proposed metro closures across NCR, PTI reported Thursday.
The scheduled protest comes amid a growing controversy over Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The protesters are demanding Kumar’s resignation, alleging irregularities in the voter-list revision and raising concerns over the deletion of voters’ names.
The Election Commission, however, has defended the exercise, saying the decision was taken with the unanimous approval of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi. It has also said the revision is an ongoing process and voters whose names have been wrongly excluded can apply to be included again.
Sardar Patel Vidyalaya has announced that students from Classes 6 to 12 will attend online classes on Saturday, citing extensive barricading in the New Delhi area and concerns over student safety, as per PTI.
The school has also discontinued its stay-back facility for Friday. The inauguration of its Activity Week, scheduled for Saturday, has been postponed, with a new date to be announced later.
Raghubir Singh Junior Modern School has rescheduled its parent-teacher meeting (PTM), which was scheduled for Saturday to discuss students’ report cards. The school said parents would be informed of the revised schedule soon.
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s Mehta Vidyalaya on Kasturba Gandhi Marg has cancelled sports day practice and enrichment classes for students of Classes 9 to 12 scheduled for Saturday. The school cited the proposed Jantar Mantar protest and student safety as reasons for the decision.
Colleges have also changed their examination schedules in view of the anticipated metro restrictions.
Bharati Vidyapeeth’s College of Engineering in Paschim Vihar has postponed its mid-term examinations scheduled for Saturday to Monday. The college cited the possibility of entry and exit gates being closed at several metro stations and disruptions to services. Examination timings will remain unchanged on the revised date.
The decision was taken in accordance with directions from the dean of the University School of Information, Communication and Technology (USICT), Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU), and the Joint Commissioner of Police, Transport Range, Delhi, the college said in a notice.
The Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Technology in Rohini has also postponed its Saturday mid-term examinations to October 12 after receiving a communication from the Delhi Police about anticipated metro restrictions.
The institute said the decision had been approved by the dean of USICT, GGSIPU, and the BTech Programme Coordination Committee. Department heads have been asked to inform faculty members and students about the revised examination schedule.
Metro restrictions ahead of Jantar Mantar protest
The Delhi Police has asked the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to close entry and exit gates at 57 metro stations from 9 pm on Friday until further notice.
The request was made in view of the proposed protest at Jantar Mantar and concerns over possible unruly movement towards sensitive locations.
The Supreme Court, however, expressed concern over the inconvenience to commuters and asked the authorities to ensure that public transport was not brought to a standstill. Chief Justice Surya Kant said the measures must account for students, employees and senior citizens travelling to Delhi from the NCR. The top court also urged the government to take corrective steps and ensure that security measures were proportionate, while noting that the right to protest must be exercised within the law.
