Two Metro stations to shut Tuesday

In a bid to foil a mass protest called by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), two metro station in the heart of the capital will remain shut from 6 to 10 a.m. Tuesday.

The decision follows a request from security forces, a metro official said.

On Monday, the authorities shut down four metro stations including Udyog Bhawan and Patel Chowk from 9 a.m. to prevent AAP supporters from reaching the site where Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal staged a sit-in protest.

Kejriwal had wanted to demonstrate against Delhi Police outside Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde's office. But after police stopped him, he and his ministers went on protest near Rail Bhavan, close to parliament.

The closure of the four stations caused misery to thousands of metro commuters, forcing many to walk or take other forms of transports to reach central government offices in the heart of Delhi.

The AAP's protests continued Monday night, with no sign when they might be called off. After security forces ringed the area blocking some key roads, there were traffic jams.

Delhi Metro opened the Race Course and Patel Chowk stations Monday evening, after first extending the opening time from 1 p.m.. But they said the Central Secretariat and Udyog Bhawan stations will be shut Tuesday.

Delhi Police, which reports to the union home ministry, Sunday banned the assembly of five or more people in the heart of Delhi.