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.
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.”
“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.
Members of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal on Wednesday said they had made elaborate plans to resume the procession that was disrupted on July 31 by stone pelting and the ensuing communal clashes that left six dead and 88 injured.
Surendra Jain, joint general secretary of VHP, said they will take out the procession no matter what. “We will take out the yatra as per our schedule. It is our right and we have planned it accordingly. Our security and safety is the responsibility of the administration and police and they should provide us the same. We can control the number of devotees if required, but we will resume the yatra,” he said.
