The Supreme Court of India heard urgent petitions on 9 October 2026 challenging the closure of 57 Delhi metro stations and the cancellation of long-distance trains ahead of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest scheduled for 10 October. The bench, led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, addressed concerns about the impact of these restrictions on ordinary citizens, including commuters, students, and employees, while also considering the right to peaceful assembly.According to Bar and Bench, the Supreme Court made it clear that there should not be a complete shutdown of Delhi metro services or a total blockade of roads. The Court directed authorities to issue a traffic advisory and ensure that any restrictions imposed are proportionate and do not cause undue hardship to the public.As reported by Live Law, the bench instructed the Centre to allow metro and train services in a regulated manner, emphasising that regulation should not amount to a complete prohibition. The Solicitor General assured the Court that he would communicate this directive to the relevant authorities and ensure that advisories are widely publicised to minimise inconvenience.As highlighted by The Indian Express, the Supreme Court scheduled a further hearing at 2 pm to allow all parties, including protest organisers and government representatives, to present their positions before any final orders were passed. Senior advocates Kapil Sibal, Abhishek Singhvi, and Prashant Bhushan argued that the entire city could not be shut down due to anticipated law and order issues.During the proceedings, the bench sought details from protest organisers regarding the expected number of participants and the duration of the demonstration. The Court stated that it needed this information to determine whether the protest could be regulated without imposing disproportionate hardship on the public."There is a citizenry before us who press for larger rights but the group that wants to protest is not before us," the bench observed, highlighting the need to balance competing interests.Petitioners argued that the closure of metro stations and cancellation of trains amounted to a blanket ban, affecting access to essential facilities for a much larger group of citizens as submissions indicated. The Court reiterated that while the right to protest is fundamental, it must be exercised within the framework of applicable laws and permissions.Senior advocates also pointed out that hotels were refusing bookings and Resident Welfare Associations were being told to restrict movement, further compounding the impact on residents as live updates confirmed. The bench acknowledged these concerns and stressed the need for a balanced approach.In a related development, the Delhi High Court declined to grant an urgent hearing to the Indian Youth Congress’s plea seeking permission to protest at Jantar Mantar, listing the matter for Monday instead of providing immediate relief."If you want to restrict unruly movement, you can do so. But that does not mean you can bring everything to a halt and leave people without any transport facility. Everybody does not have a car," Chief Justice Surya Kant stated during the hearing.The Supreme Court’s directions emphasised the principle of proportionality, instructing authorities to review and regulate restrictions rather than impose blanket bans, and to ensure that the public is adequately informed about any changes to transport services as further coverage revealed.Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.