Arunachal Pradesh government has ordered for temporary suspension of mobile internet services in the Itanagar Capital Region for 47 hours starting 6 pm on February 17 “to prevent further occurrence of serious law & order problems”.
“The mobile internet services of BSNL and all other private internet service providers in the Itanagar Capital Region are hereby suspended temporarily from 1800 hrs of 17-2-2023 to 1700 hrs of 19-2-2023 in the interest of public emergency/safety,” an ‘order’ from the principal secretary (home), Govt of Arunachal Pradesh said.
The decision was taken in pursuance of the request of DGP for temporary suspension of internet services in the capital region to prevent further occurrence of serious law and order problems as witnessed during February 17’s bandh call given by Pan Arunachal Joint Steering Committee (PAJSC) which has taken a serious turn after destruction of properties, police barricades, following which police had to resort to lathi charge and firing of tear gas shells to control the situation, it said.
The 12-hour capital bandh was enforced over the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) paper leak scam with an adamant PAJSC insisting the state government to address its 13-point demand, besides calling for cancellation of the scheduled swearing-in of new APPSC chairman and members.
Notwithstanding the imposition of prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC by the district administration, hundreds of protesters came out to the capital streets and staged protests at the Raj Bhavan tri-junction that leads to the Governor’s house where the swearing-in was to take place on February 17, and raised slogans against the state government.
In the melee, several people from both protesters and police sides sustained injuries. Moreover, both public and private properties, including two-wheelers and four-wheelers were damaged across the capital.
