NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Home Affairs has extended the suspension of internet services at the farmer protest sites in Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri borders till Tuesday night, officials have said on Monday.
Apart from the three border points, where farmers have been protesting since November against the Centre’s three new farm laws, internet services will remain suspended in their adjoining areas too. The suspension is effective from 11 pm of January 31 to 11 pm of February 2.
The decision has been taken to ‘maintain public safety and averting public emergency’ under Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules 2017, a Home ministry official said.
On January 26, when largescale violence was reported during the farmers’ tractor rally, Internet services were temporary suspended in some parts of Delhi.
Thousands of farmers have been protesting at Delhi’s borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, demanding a rollback of the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
The protesting farmers have expressed the apprehension that these laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price (MSP) system, leaving them at the “mercy” of big corporations.