Farmers gather on the day they march towards New Delhi to press for better crop prices promised to them in 2021, at the Shambhu border, a border crossing between Punjab and Haryana, on December 6, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Ahead of the farmer and farm-labourers groups, camping on inter-State boundaries of Punjab and Haryana since February this year, all set to resume their ‘Delhi Kooch’ foot-march to lay siege to the national capital – New Delhi, the Haryana government has suspended the mobile internet services, bulk SMS and dongle services in parts of Ambala district till December 9.
According to an official order from the Home Department on Friday (December 6, 2024), the direction have come into effect from December 6 at 12:00 hours and will continue till 23:59 hours on December 9, 2024. The order has been issued in a bid to prevent any disturbance of peace and public order in parts of district Ambala, in the wake of call for “Delhi Kooch” given by certain farmers.
Protesting farmers claim police blocking them from exiting villages
The order added that there is a clear potential of disruption of public utilities and safety, damage to public assets and amenities and disturbance of law and order in district Ambala on account of misuse of internet services by way of spread of inflammatory material and false rumours, which are being or could be transmitted or circulated to the public through social media-messaging services on mobile internet services, SMS services and other dongle services.
The order has been issued under Rule 2 of Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules, 2017, 1, suspending the mobile internet services, all SMS services, including bulk SMS (excluding and banking and mobile recharge) and all dongle services etc. provided on mobile networks except the voice calls in the areas of villages — Dangdehri, Lohgarh, Manakpur, Dadiyana, Bari Ghel, Lharsa, Kalu Majra, Devi Nagar, Saddopur, Sultanpur and Kakru in jurisdiction of district Ambala.
Group of farmers under the banner of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) — the two umbrella bodies that are spearheading farmer’s agitation in Punjab have been, since February 13, camping at Shambhu-Ambala and Khanauri-Jind – the inter-State boundaries between Haryana and Punjab, after being stopped from entering Haryana. They had then given the call for the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march to press for fulfillment of their demands, a legal guarantee for purchasing their crops at a Minimum Support Price (MSP) and a farm loan waiver are among the key ones.
Meanwhile, Haryana’s Transport Minister Anil Vij, speaking to media persons, regarding the farmers’ march toward Delhi, said “Have they [farmers] obtained permission to proceed? How can they be allowed to proceed without permission? They can only proceed if they obtain permission.”
A heavy deployment of security personnel has been made on the Haryana side of the border in the wake of farmers proposed foot march on December 6, 2024.
Published – December 06, 2024 02:26 pm IST
