Internet shut down in Delhi, Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur border, and surrounding areas, Home Ministry orders

Harleen Kaur Grewal

Delhi,  January 30, 2021: After Haryana, now the Union Home Ministry has temporarily shut down internet services in the capital city of Singhu, Ghazipur, Tikri Border, and their surrounding areas. Internet service has been banned from 11 pm on 29 January to 11 pm on 31 January.

The government has requested all private and government telecom companies to follow these orders. It can be believed that the government has issued these orders to maintain peace, public order, and law and order in the area in view of the peasant movement.

Significantly, on 26 January, Internet services in some parts of Delhi were temporarily closed. The move was taken in the event of violence during the tractor parade of farmers on Republic Day.

Farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said, “The government has stopped internet where we are, and also in Haryana… I appeal to the people in Delhi to join the peaceful protest but do nothing even in the flow of emotions if someone tries to provoke you. We should make sure that we don’t go to war. This is our country and our government.”’

After the violence during the tractor parade of farmers on Republic Day in the capital Delhi, the agitation of the farmers slowed down once again and the process of increasing the number of protestors at the picketing continues.

Internet shutdown in 17 out of 22 districts of Haryana

Earlier in Haryana, the Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP government banned internet services in all 17 of the 22 districts of the state with immediate effect on Friday evening. However, the internet runs functionally in 5 districts. Internet services were already banned in Sonipat, Palwal, and Jhajjar. The 14 more districts where internet service was stopped yesterday are Ambala, Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Kaithal, Panipat, Hisar, Jind, Rohtak, Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Fatehabad, Rewari, and Sirsa districts. It has been decided to discontinue internet services except for voice calls in these districts till 5 pm on January 30, 2021. On the other hand, Internet services running in 5 districts of the state include Gurugram, Faridabad, Noonh, Panchkula, and Mahendragarh.

The government has issued these orders to prevent any disturbances in peace and public order in the area. The government has asked all telecom operators to follow these instructions. The state government had decided to extend the period of shutting down internet services by another 24 hours to prevent the spread of rumors through various social media mediums like SMS, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

After the tractor parade turned violent in Delhi on Republic Day, the Haryana government suspended mobile internet services in the three districts of Sonepat, Jhajjar, and Palwal on Tuesday.

The order issued by the Home Department of Haryana had said that the CID of Haryana has been brought to the notice by the ADGP that the situation remains tense and violence can spread in the areas of NCR adjacent to Haryana.