Gauhati HC directs Assam govt to restore mobile internet services

Guwahati, Dec 19: The agitation in Assam and other northeast states over the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protest has calm down now, on Thursday the Gauhati High Court directed the Assam government to restore mobile internet services at 5 pm on Thursday.

As per PTI report, a division bench of Justices Manojit Bhuyan along with Saumitra Saikia gave the direction to restore mobile internet services.

This comes after the division bench heard the four PILs filed by journalist Ajit Kumar Bhuyan, and advocates Bonoshri Gogoi, Randeep Sharma and Debakanta Doley.

From the evening of December 11, the mobile and broadband internet services were suspended in Assam following incidents of violence over the protests against CAA.

On December 17, authorities lifted curfew which was imposed on December 11, and the broadband services in the entire state was also restored.

The court has reportedly observed that it is open to the state authorities taking steps to curb dissemination of "explosive messages, video" on various social media platforms which may have a tendency to incite violence and destructions affecting public safety.

According to PTI, senior advocates Arup Borbora, K K Mahanta, U K Nair and Bimal Chetry appeared for the petitioners, while Specially Engaged Counsel Debajit Sah represented the state government and Assistant Solicitar General S C Keyal appeared for the central government.

The decision to lift curfew in Guwahati, Assam's main city, came after the state government reviewed the law-and-order situation in the state.

Assam had been on the boil as thousands of people came out on the streets to protest against the amended Citizenship Act.

Agitators engaged in pitched battles with the police across various cities, forcing the administration to impose curfew and suspending internet services.