The Mumbai metro services between Jagruti Nagar and Ghatkopar stations remained suspended from 6 pm on Wednesday till further notice for security reasons, in view of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's roadshow in the area.
A spokesperson of the Mumbai Metro One had requested commuters to plan their journey according to the suspension.
Notably, the Ghatkopar-Andheri-Versova Metro service provides major connectivity between the western and eastern suburbs. Over three lakh commuters use the Metro services on a daily basis.
The Prime Minister's 2.5-kilometre roadshow in Ghatkopar went from LBS Marg's Shreyas Cinema to Gandhi Market. PM Modi was campaigning for BJP's Mumbai North East Lok Sabha candidate Mihir Kotecha.
MUMBAI TRAFFIC ALSO HIT
Mumbai Police had also issued a traffic advisory ahead of the PM's roadshow.
As per the advisory, no vehicles were allowed on LBS Road from Gandhi Nagar Junction to Naupada Junction and on Mahul-Ghatkopar road from Meghraj Juntion to RB Kadam Junction from 2 pm to 10 pm.
Andheri Ghatkopar Link Road from Ghatkopar Junction to Sakinaka Junction, Gulati petrol pump junction from Hiranandani Kailas Complex Road and from Golibar Maidan and Ghatkopar Metro Station (West) towards Sarvodaya Junction were also closed in view of PM Modi's roadshow.
PASSENGERS FRUSTRATED
Several passengers were frustrated over the disruption of Metro services during peak hours. Commuters took to the microblogging site X and said slammed the Prime Minister's roadshow.
The Congress party also hit out at the roadshow and said, "Modi troubles lakhs of passengers by forcing the Mumbai metro to temporarily shut down for his election campaign. If it's Modi, despair is guaranteed."
Another X user said that a ten-minute journey was now an hour and a half long, adding that several passengers were stranded at the station.
While another user raised a question at why a notice for the service suspension was not given "a day in advance".
"This is the situation for common people when a VIP visits: a fully packed metro and extreme rush at Ghatkopar," an X user said.
Meanwhile, in Kolkata as well metro services were affected on Wednesday as a man allegedly attempted suicide by jumping onto the tracks on the North-South Line.
An official said that the incident took place at the Netaji Bhavan station at 11:38 pm. The man, yet to be identified, was later taken to a nearby hospital.
Metro services between Rabindra Sadan and Rabindra Sarobar stations were disrupted after the incident. However, they were restored at 12:40 pm.
The 32-km-long North-South Line of the Kolkata Metro, also known as the Blue Line, connects New Garia on the city's southern fringes to Dakshineshwar, which is in the north.
(With PTI inputs)
