A day after the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) called off its 36-day-long protest following Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation as the Union education minister on Saturday, the iconic Jantar Mantar, a prominent site for agitations, wore a deserted look on Sunday.
Following this development, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) declared that the 18-odd metro stations, which had shut their entry and exit gates due to the unprecedented crowd during the protest, were open to the public. “All stations of the Delhi Metro network are open (both entry and exit) for passenger services,” the DMRC said in a social media post on the handle X.
For a couple of days, when the protest at Jantar Mantar peaked, around 18 metro stations had been shut, citing security reasons.
Meanwhile, the lanes around Jantar Mantar on Sunday appeared very different compared to the previous couple of days, as they had been full of protestors and people who had come in support of the CJP protest.
The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) began a massive cleanliness drive at Jantar Mantar and the adjoining lanes, including restoration and beautification work in the wee hours. Officers and staff, along with equipment, started the cleaning process, while NDMC Vice- Chairperson Kuljeet Singh Chahal personally monitored the work.
Jantar Mantar, Tolstoy Marg, Sansad Marg, Jai Singh Marg, and the adjoining areas of Connaught Place underwent this cleanliness drive with the sanitation teams working to restore the streets after the protests.
According to the council, Chahal, had reached Jantar Mantar after the protest concluded and remained present at the site throughout the night, personally supervising the cleanliness, waste removal, repair and restoration work.
He directed the officers to complete all work promptly while maintaining the highest quality standards.
Chahal visited again during the day to review the completed work and ensure the entire area was clean, safe, well-maintained and fully ready for public use.
In an appeal to the people, he said that transforming Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swachh Bharat mission into a true people’s movement is the collective responsibility of every citizen, urging them to maintain cleanliness in public places, and protect public property.
According to officials, approximately 60 metric tonnes of waste were removed through the special overnight sanitation drive by Sunday evening.