Mobile internet and bulk SMS services will remain suspended in Haryana’s Nuh for two days due to law and order concerns after right-wing Hindutva outfits declared that they will not cancel their religious procession on August 28. The district administration had denied them permission to take out the Brij Mandal Jal Abhishek Yatra in Nuh on August 28 citing security concerns.
The state home department said that mobile internet services, bulk SMS (excluding banking and mobile recharge) and all dongle services will be suspended in Nuh district in a bid to stop the spread of misinformation and rumours through various social media platforms.
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The administration fears that mobile internet services and bulk SMS can be misused to mobilise mobs who can cause “serious loss of life and damage to public and private properties by indulging in arson or vandalism and other types of violent activities.”
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“It is emphasized that this order is being issued after taking utmost care of public convenience by exempting individual SMS, mobile recharge, banking SMS, Voice calls, internet services provided by broadband and lease lines of corporate and domestic households, thus not affecting the commercial/financial interest of the State and basic domestic needs of individuals,” the order dated August 26 read.
The order will come into effect from 12pm today and remain in force till August 28.
On Wednesday, representatives of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal claimed to have made elaborate preparations to resume the parade that had been halted on July 31 by stone-throwing and the accompanying racial violence, which left six people dead and 88 injured.
VHP joint general secretary Surendra Jain declared that they would disperse the procession regardless of the circumstances. We’ll carry out the yatra according to plan. We have prepared for it appropriately since it is our right. The administration and police are responsible for ensuring our security and safety, and they should do so. If necessary, we can limit the number of followers, but the yatra will still go on.
