Chakka Jam: Internet suspended again at Singhu, Tikri, Ghazipur

The move comes amid 'chakka jam', held to protest the snapping of internet connection at Delhi's border areas.

On a day, farmers held a three-hour-long symbolic protest of chakka jam against the Centre's frequent orders of suspending internet connection at border areas where farmers have been camping since November, the ministry of home affairs order an internet suspension, which will continue till the end of the day.

Security deployment at Delhi's border areas during farmers' three-hour 'chakka jam' on Saturday. (HT/Sanchit Khanna)

The order was issued a day ahead of Chakka jam

The suspension of internet services has been announced in the interest of "maintaining public safety and averting public emergency", the order issued on February 5 said. Singhu, Ghazipur, Tikri borders are surrounding areas come under the purview of this suspension order.

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Follow live updates of farmers' protest

The MHA ordered the first suspension of internet connection amid the ongoing farmers' protest on January 26, when farmers' tractor march led to a violent stand-off between protesters and the Delhi Police. A group of protesters entered into the Capital deviated from the pre-agreed route of their tractor march and entered the Red Fort, climbed on it to hoist religious flags. Soon after the incident, internet connectivity was suspended. Since then, there have been regular suspensions of internet connection at the border areas.

Saturday's three-hour 'chakka jam', in which state and national highways across the country were blocked between 12 noon and 3pm, except in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, was in protest against these internet suspensions.

Similar orders blocking internet services had been passed in Haryana and Punjab as well — after January 26.

The service disruption in national Capital and surrounding areas has drawn the attention of international media and international celebrities as American pop star Rihanna, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, on their social media accounts, extended support to farmers' protest, sharing a CNN article which talked about India's internet suspension.

Since the three-hour 'chakka jam' was the protesters' major event after Republic Day march, the Centre, Delhi Police, Haryana Police stepped up security measures. Union home minister Amit Shah had met Delhi Police commissioner SN Shrivastava and NSA Ajit Doval on February 4 to review the security situation ahead of 'chakka jam'.