NSUI members protest against Delhi Metro fare hike, stop train at Vishwavidyalaya

Four members of NSUI, including Delhi president Akshay Lakra, jumped onto the Metro tracks at Vishwavidyalaya station at around 11am. They were later detained by CISF.

Metro services on Yellow Line were disrupted on Monday morning for at least 10 minutes, when four supporters of National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) jumped on the track raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Four members of NSUI protested on the tracks for about 5-7 minutes, delaying Metro services by at least 10 minutes. (Photo: Sourced)

The members of Congress’ student wing were protesting against the proposed fare hike by the DMRC set to be enforced from October 10.

NSUI’s Delhi president Akshay Lakra, along with party members Shauryaveer, Arjun Chaprana and another unidentified member, reportedly entered the Vishwavidyalaya Metro station and jumped on to the tracks at around 11am refusing to let the metro services run. The four sat for at least 5-7 minutes delaying metro services by 10 minutes.

The NSUI, later, shared pictures of the protest on Twitter.

CISF officials at the station said the four were detained and handed over to Delhi police.

“Metro fares have been hiked unreasonably. The students are suffering the most due to this move. We have been trying to meet Kailash Gehlot for many days. We had no option but to do this to make the deaf government listen to us,” said Neeraj Mishra, NSUI’s national media incharge.

The Delhi government and centre are locked in a face off over the proposed fare hike. The centre had told chief minister Arvind Kejriwal that they would not hike the metro fare, if his government paid the operating costs of Rs 3000 crore annually. In reply, Kejriwal on Sunday wrote to minister of state for Housing and Urban affairs Hardeep Puri that his government is ready to take over the Delhi metro Rail Corporation if centre pays 50% of the amount.