Originally suspended on February 11, the mobile internet and bulk SMS services were subsequently extended on multiple occasions, with the latest extension issued on February 21. In the recent order, Additional Chief Secretary T V S N Prasad highlighted the critical and tense law and order situation in the mentioned districts, expressing concerns about potential disruptions, damage to public assets, and disturbances in public law and order.
The order, authorized under Section 5 of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, and Rule 2 of Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules 2017, outlined the continued suspension of mobile internet services, bulk SMS (excluding banking and mobile recharge), and all dongle services except voice calls until February 24 (2359 hours) in the specified jurisdictions.
Prasad emphasized the preventive nature of the extension, aiming to avoid any disturbance to peace and public order in the mentioned districts. The ongoing farmers’ ‘Delhi Chalo’ agitation, led by Samyukta Kisan Morcha and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, seeks to address farmers’ demands, including a law on minimum support price (MSP) for crops and a farm loan waiver.
As protesting farmers from Punjab continue their march, camping at border points in Haryana since February 13, tensions persist, and the government remains vigilant to prevent the misuse of internet services for the spread of inflammatory material and false rumors. The suspension, while a measure to maintain public safety, adds to the complexities surrounding the ongoing agrarian protests.
with PTI inputs
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