MHA imposes internet services ban in seven districts of Punjab till Feb 24

Home Ministry. File Pic/ AFP

In view of the farmers' protest, the Union Home Ministry has imposed a temporary ban on internet services in seven districts of Punjab until February 24.

Patiala district, SAS Nagar, Bathinda, Sri Muktsar Sahib, Mansa, Sangrur, and Fatehgarh Sahib are the districts where the order has come into effect.

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"In exercise of the power conferred by Section 7 of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, read with Sub-rule 1 of Rule 2 of the Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules 2017, and in the interest of maintaining public safety and averting public emergency, it is necessary and expedient to order, the temporary suspension of internet services from February 17 to 24," the order from the MHA said read.

Earlier, the Haryana government on Saturday extended the ban on mobile internet and bulk SMS services in seven districts till February 19 in view of the 'Delli Chalo' call given by farmers' organisations.

The government had earlier extended the suspension of mobile internet from February 13 until February 15.

According to a notification issued by the Haryana administration, bulk SMS and all dongle services provided on mobile networks, except voice calls, will remain suspended in the jurisdiction of districts Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad and Sirsa.

As the farmer protest at the Shambhu border enters the sixth day, Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee leaders said on Sunday that the government had asked for some time to discuss the matter with the union ministers.

"It is our sixth day at the Shambhu border. Today we are also holding fourth round of talks with the government. The government has asked for some time and said that it will discuss the matter with the union ministers and find a solution to it," the committee's general secretary Sarvan Singh Pandher said.

The protesting farmers have been camping at the Shambhu border near Ambala since the start of the march on Tuesday, February 13. Talks between the union ministers and leaders of various farmers' bodies remained inconclusive, with the fourth round of talks scheduled on Sunday.

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