The Assam government on December 11 notified the suspension of mobile internet/data services across 10 districts of the state for 24 hours due to the ongoing protests against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill.
Mobile internet services will remain unavailable in 10 districts of the state from 7pm on December 11 till 7pm on December 12. Services will be unavailable in Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Kamrup (Metro) and Kamrup districts of the state.
“There has been protests in different parts of the state and there are probabilities of intensifying such protests which may adversely affect the law and order situation in the state….further reports in electronic media shows that the protesters are involved in vandalism which is likely to spread… social media platforms like Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter and YouTube are likely to be used for spreading rumours and also transmission of information like pictures, videos and texts that have the potential to inflame passions… hence mobile internet will be prohibited for the next 24 hours…” the notification signed by Home and Political Department deputy secretary said.
The government order further said that violation of the order will be punishable under Section 188 IPC and also under the relevant provision of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885.
Assam as well as NE region has been opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB), which seeks to grant Indian citizenship to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Parsi, Jain and Christian refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who came to India prior to December 31, 2014.
