Two Delhi Metro stations reopen after Sikhs' protests

Two Delhi Metro stations reopened after being shut for a few hours when Sikh protestors came on to the tracks with placards and raised slogans against Congress leader Sajjan Kumar's acquittal in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, an official said.

A Delhi Metro official told IANS: "Subhash Nagar Metro station and Tilak Nagar Metro station were opened for public around 3 p.m. Around 12.45 p.m., scores of protestors entered the station and they jumped into the tracks. A train was forced to halt for around 10 minutes."

Scores of Sikhs protesting against Congress leader Sajjan Kumar's acquittal in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case by a Delhi court Tuesday forced the shutdown of the two stations.

The protestors barged into the stations and jumped on to the tracks waving placards that said 'Give justice to '84 victims' and 'Hang the culprits' and shouting slogans against Sajjan Kumar's acquittal.

Hemendra Singh, spokesperson of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) that provides security to the Delhi Metro network, told IANS: "Over 60 protestors barged into Subhash Nagar Metro station. The few CISF personnel could not stop them from entering. A train was delayed for a few minutes."

"Tilak Nagar Metro station also saw similar scenes, but no trains were stopped there. We had to clear protestors who jumped on to the tracks. Entry gates of the two stations were closed for over two hours. When we asked them to leave, they did peacefully," he added.

"The situation is under control. We have deployed additional personnel. No damage was caused. Only a few of them are still protesting outside the stations," Singh said.