NEW DELHI, JULY 22 (IANS) Sixteen central Delhi Metro stations, including Lok Kalyan Marg, Rajiv Chowk, Patel Chowk, and Central Secretariat, were closed on Wednesday amid heightened security against the backdrop of the Jantar Mantar protest.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), however, stated that interchange facilities remain operational at Rajiv Chowk, Mandi House, and Central Secretariat to allow transfers despite full station closures.

The list includes Lok Kalyan Marg, Rajiv Chowk, Patel Chowk, Ramakrishna Ashram Marg, Barakhambha Road, Supreme Court, Seva Teerth, Janpath, Mandi House, Central Secretariat, ITO, Delhi Gate, Indraprastha, Khan Market, Jor Bagh, and Shivaji Stadium.

This comes against the backdrop of violent protests that broke out on Monday as thousands of supporters of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and students marched from Jantar Mantar towards Parliament, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over recurring examination irregularities, including the NEET-UG paper leaks.

The protests, which began at Jantar Mantar, drew students, opposition leaders, and activists demanding accountability in the education system. Delhi Police have assured a thorough investigation into the violence.

Meanwhile, security has been heightened in the area to maintain law and order.

Earlier on Tuesday night, Union Ministers J.P. Nadda and Jitendra Singh met innovator and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram, shortly after he was shifted there from Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital for further treatment.

Wangchuk was discharged from Safdarjung Hospital earlier in the evening and taken to Medanta in an ambulance under tight security, in compliance with a Delhi High Court order. He was admitted to the hospital's Intensive Care Unit (ICU) under the supervision of Dr Sushila Kataria, an internal medicine specialist, according to hospital officials.

The meeting held on Tuesday night between the two Union Ministers and Wangchuk came as the activist continued his indefinite hunger strike, which has entered its 25th day on Wednesday.