Mobile internet services and bulk SMS have been suspended in Haryana’s Nuh for two days after right-wing Hindutva outfits refused to cancel their August 28 Brij Mandal Jal Abhishek Yatra even as the district administration denied permission to take out the religious procession.
In an order dated August 26, the state home department said that mobile internet services and bulk SMS will remain suspended in Nuh for August 27 and 28 as a precautionary measure to stop the spread of rumours and misinformation campaigns.
The state home department, however, said that individual SMS, mobile recharge, banking SMS, voice calls, broadband internet services, and services of lease lines of corporate and domestic households will be exempted from the suspension.
“It is emphasized that this order is being issued after taking utmost care of public convenience by exempting individual SMS, mobile recharge, banking SMS, Voice calls, and internet services provided by broadband and lease lines of corporate and domestic households, thus not affecting the commercial/financial interest of the State and basic domestic needs of individuals,” the order read.
‘Can control the number of devotees but Yatra will go on’
On Wednesday, members of right-wing Hindutva outfits the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal had said the procession that was disrupted on July 31 will be carried out on August 28. VHP joint general secretary Surendra Jain said that the number of devotees can be controlled if required but the Yatra will resume according to the plan.
“We will take out the yatra as per our schedule. It is our right and we have planned it accordingly. Our security and safety are the responsibility of the administration and police and they should provide us with the same. We can control the number of devotees if required, but we will resume the yatra,” HT quoted him as saying.
Earlier on July 31, Nuh had witnessed communal riots and arson after an incident of stone pelting on a religious procession by some miscreants. At least six people had been killed and more than 80 sustained injuries in the ensuing communal clashes.