Bhiwani killings: After Saturday protests, Haryana suspends internet services in Nuh

Haryana government on Sunday suspended all mobile internet services in the Nuh district till February 28, saying the decision has been taken to deal with possibilities of communal tension and disturbance of public peace

Haryana government on Sunday suspended all mobile internet services in the Nuh district till February 28, saying the decision has been taken to deal with possibilities of communal tension and disturbance of public peace. . The move comes, after the protest on the Nuh-Alwar highway to demand the arrest of those behind the abduction and murder of two Muslim men from Rajasthan whose bodies were found in Haryana’s Bhiwani. After the protest, a call was made for a series of protests in the Nuh district.

The suspension of mobile internet services in the territorial jurisdiction of Nuh district will remain in force with effect from February 26 to February 28 midnight.

The suspension of mobile internet services (2G/3G/4G/CDMA/GPRS) bulk SMS services (excluding banking and mobile recharge) and all dongle services on mobile networks have been imposed to stop the spread of disinformation and rumours through various social media platforms, including WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, an official spokesperson said.

The suspension of mobile internet services in the territorial jurisdiction of Nuh district will remain in force with effect from February 26 to February 28 midnight.

The suspension of mobile internet services has been ordered under Section 5 of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 to be read along with Rule (2) of Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules, 2017.

“In view of the potential cause for communal tension and disturbance of public peace, the temporary suspension has been imposed to stop the spread of disinformation and rumours through various social media platforms...,” the spokesperson said.

All telecom service providers of Haryana have been hereby directed to ensure the compliance of this order and any person found guilty of the violation of the aforesaid order will be liable for legal action under relevant provisions.

Police on Saturday booked more than 500 people for blocking the Nuh-Alwar highway.

Nasir and Junaid, both residents of Ghatmeeka village in the Bharatpur district of Rajasthan, were allegedly abducted by cow vigilantes on February 15, and their bodies were found in a charred car in Loharu in Haryana’s Bhiwani the next day.

The Rajasthan Police has said it has got concrete evidence against eight accused named in the FIR. They are Anil and Srikant from Nuh, Kalu from Kaithal, Kishore and Shashikant from Karnal, Monu and Gogi from Bhiwani, and Vikas of Jind, officials said. However, the role of Monu Manesar, a member of Bajrang Dal, in the case is still being investigated, officials said.

On Wednesday, arrested accused Rinku Saini was produced before a court that sent him to police remand till February 27.

Move to stifle minority: Cong

However, in a sharp reaction senior Congress leader Aftab Ahmed, who is also a deputy leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP), said the move to suspend the mobile internet services in Nuh district is a politically-motivated decision of the BJP-JJP coalition government to stifle the voice of the minority community.

“When right-wing goons roam freely in Nuh and spread terror, the state government keeps mum. And when the minority community wants to raise its voice peacefully, the government resorts to such gimmicks,” said Aftab, the Nuh assembly segment MLA, while speaking to HT over the phone from Raipur, where he is attending Congress’ plenary session.

“There is complete peace in Nuh, and through such decisions, the government is trying to vitiate peace in the Nuh district,” the Congress leader added.

During the first part of the budget session of the Haryana assembly, the Congress three MLAs (Aftab Ahmed, Mohammad Ilyas, and Mamman Khan,) from the Muslim-dominated Nuh district had vociferously raised the issue of the killing of two Muslim men allegedly by cow vigilantes in Bhiwani district. The Congress MLAs had accused the state government of giving “political patronage” to goons roaming in the guise of gaurakshaks in the district.

Mamman Khan, MLA, who is also in Raipur, said he was unaware if there was any plan to take out a procession or protest in Nuh regarding the Bhiwani killings.