First mobile services shutdown in parts of Delhi ends, CAA protests continue

According to a Delhi Police order accessed by HT, the four mobile companies in the national capital were told to switch off cell towers that service

The Delhi police ordered mobile phone companies in the national capital to shut down all telecom services in many parts of the city to curb fake messages, rumours and videos from being circulated. The services were restored at around 1.30 pm, a senior Delhi police officer said.

In many parts of Delhi, protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act have been taking place, Dec 19, 2019 (AP)

The telecom companies were ordered to shutdown the services to curb fake messages, rumours and videos from being circulated, the officer said.

According to the order issued by senior Delhi Police officer Pramod Kushwah on Wednesday, the four mobile companies in the national capital were told to pull the plug on services in the Walled City areas of north and central districts, Mandi House, Seelampur, Jaffarbad and Mustafabad, Jamia Nagar and Shaheen Bagh, Bawana.

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“This should be treated as an absolute direction and compliance should be reported,” Kushwah’s communication to the phone companies said.

The services were initially ordered to be suspended between 9 am and 1 pm, a total of four hours. But phone subscribers complained of disruption in services till much later.

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Opposition leaders such as Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have criticised the crackdown. “Metro stations are closed. Internet is shut. Section 144 has been imposed everywhere…,” she tweeted.

Kushwah, the deputy commissioner of police special cell, wasn’t available for comments.

But other senior officers said that the police had spotted many fake messages circulating on social media over the last five days such as death of anti-citizenship law protesters in Jamia Nagar and other parts of the city.

“A video of police firing from Patna was circulated as a police firing in Delhi. People were being asked to gather to protest the killing at Jamia. There are many messages like this,” a police officer said.

Delhi police spokesperson MS Randhawa said police would take action if they find evidence of rumour mongering.

This is the first time in recent years that police have issued such an order.

Airtel phone subscribers were the first to find that the reason their calls and messages weren’t going through because of a government order.

Many of them had complained to the company on Twitter about the patchy services when Airtel responded: “We’re complying with instructions received from government authorities on suspending Voice, SMS and data in certain areas in Delhi. Once the suspension orders are lifted, our services will be fully up and running. We’re sorry about the inconvenience.”