Farmer' protest in Haryana: Mobile internet service resumes in Karnal

The Mobile and internet services have resumed in Karnal in Haryana days after the state government suspended the services.

Haryana, 10 Sep: The Mobile and internet services have resumed in Karnal after the state government extended the suspension on Thursday even as farmers continued to stage demonstrations at the district headquarters in Karnal.

"As of now, there is no plan to suspend the services again," PTI quoted Assistant District PRO Raghubir Singh as saying.

The services were suspended by the government to prevent misinformation and rumours through social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter on mobile phones and SMS.

The order, issued by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Rajeev Arora on Thursday, had taken the decision to suspend mobile Internet services (2G/3G/4G/CDMA/GPRS), SMS services, including bulk SMS (excluding banking and mobile recharge) and all dongle services provided on mobile networks, except voice calling.

It said this could facilitate the mobilisation of mobs who can cause serious loss of life and damage to public and private properties by indulging in arson, vandalism or other violent activities. All telecom service providers of Haryana are, hereby, directed to ensure compliance of the order, it added.

The farmers were agitated with the government after IAS officer Ayush Sinha was caught on tape allegedly telling policemen to "break heads" of farmers if they cross the line during their August 28 protest. On the said day, around 10 farmers suffered injuries when police used force to stop them from marching to the venue of a BJP event in Karnal.

The sit-in outside the Karnal mini-secretariat, following a mahapanchayat in the same city, began Tuesday evening after talks between district officials and the farm leaders "failed". For over nine months now, farmers have been sitting on dharnas at Delhi's borders demanding that the three agri-marketing laws enacted at the Centre should be withdrawn. The Union leaders claim the laws will lead to the dilution of the minimum support price (MSP) at which farmers sell their crops to government agencies.