n view of yatra calls given by various Hindu groups for Monday, the Haryana Government on Sunday ordered the suspension of all mobile internet services in Nuh district for 24 hours starting from Sunday evening at 6 pm to prevent tension and maintain public order during the yatra.
About six people died after communal clashes erupted during the Braj Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra last year.
The internet service in the district will remain suspended from 6 pm Sunday to 6 pm Monday, according to an order by Haryana Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Anurag Rastogi. This measure aims to curb misinformation spread via social media, it stated.
Moreover, the Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini appealed to the people to maintain peace during the yatra. “Those who believe in Lord Krishna are associated with this yatra. We should live together with harmony. People should support this yatra and make it successful. We have alerted officials,” said the CM.
Meanwhile, the Nuh Police said that tight security arrangements have been made to ensure that the yatra passes off smoothly. Authorities have tightened security with CCTV and drone surveillance, established checkpoints, and mandated the closure of meat shops along the yatra route. A strict ban on carrying weapons and a special team to monitor social media have also been implemented to ensure peace.
As per official statement, the additional Chief Secretary (Home) Anurag Rastogi has passed orders to suspend mobile internet services 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, CDMA, GPRS and bulk SMS (except banking, mobile recharge and voice calls), and all dongle services provided on mobile network in Nuh from 6 pm on July 21 to 6 pm on July 22, 2024. It is informed that for appropriate action in this regard, all telecom service providers of Haryana have been directed to ensure compliance of these orders.
Deputy Commissioner Dhirendra Khadgata said that these orders have been issued by the Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department, Haryana to prevent any kind of disturbance in peace and public order in Nuh district. In case of violation of these orders, legal action will be initiated under relevant provisions.
He said that the order has been issued to prevent the possibility of damage to public properties and facilities in Nuh district, disturbance in law and order by spreading inappropriate content and false rumors by misuse of internet services. Apart from this, internet services have been restricted to prevent the possibility of spreading misinformation and rumors through various social media platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter (X) etc from mobile internet services, as well as gathering and organizing a crowd to cause serious damage to someone else, causing damage to public and private properties by engaging in arson or vandalism and other types of violent activities.
Personal SMS, mobile recharge, banking SMS, voice calls, corporate and domestic broadband and internet services provided through leased lines are exempted as per public convenience and basic domestic needs of the people, states the order.
Notably, two home guards were killed and at least 15 others, including several policemen, injured on July 31 last year as a mob in Nuh tried to stop a Vishva Hindu Parishad procession, pelting stones and setting cars on fire. The same night, a mob attacked a mosque in Gurugram and killed its naib imam. About six people were killed and scores injured in the immediate aftermath of the interfaith clash. The BJP government in the state, then led by Manohar Khattar, had drawn sharp criticism from the opposition parties over the violence.
