NewsCitiesChandigarhRazzia Amritpal Singh: Punjab Extends Mobile Internet Service Ban Until Monday Noon According to an official order from the State Home Department, all mobile Internet services (2G/3G/4G/5G/CDMA/GPRS), all SMS services (except banking and mobile top-up) and all dongle services provided on mobile networks, excluding voice calls, in Punjab’s territorial jurisdiction will be further suspended from Sunday noon to Monday noon, in continuation of Friday’s order. Punjab government extends mobile internet suspension amid concerns over self-proclaimed Sikh preachers and associates. (File Representational Photo) Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element.
Amid its crackdown on self-proclaimed Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh and his allies, the Punjab government on Sunday extended the statewide suspension of mobile internet services by a further 24 hours. The radical leader is currently on the run.
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According to an official order from the State Home Department, all mobile internet service (2G/3G/4G/5G/CDMA/GPRS), all SMS service (except banking and mobile top-up) and all dongle service provided on cellular networks except Voice calls in Punjab’s territorial jurisdiction will continue to be suspended from Sunday noon to Monday noon in continuation of Friday’s order. The original order suspended services from Saturday noon to Sunday noon.
“While the Director-General of Punjab Police has alerted me that certain sections of society are likely to threaten public order by inciting violence and also resorting to widespread violence to foment and cause community tension, disability or personal injury , danger to life and property, disturbance of public peace and tranquillity, thereby threatening public security and public order in the state of Punjab,” the order said.
It added: “The Director-General of Punjab Police has further brought to my attention that these sections of society are extensively using social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp etc. and also Short Message Service (SMS) to Spreading inflammation use material and false rumors to provoke the mobilization of mobs of agitators and protesters to mobilize their own manpower and resources for their anti-national activities.”
“There is a clear continuation of the potential for threats to public safety, disruption to public utilities, damage to public assets and facilities, and disruption of public law and order in the state of Punjab due to abuse of mobile internet services, SMS services and others Dongle services.” It also pointed to the “immediate need to curb the spread of misinformation and rumors via social media platforms” that “could provoke the mobilization of mobs of agitators.”
