The Tripura government has stopped mobile-based internet services to curb “unauthenticated information, visuals and photographs” following police firing on Tuesday in which six youths, agitating against the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill were wounded, officials said on Wednesday.
“The curbs, enforced on late Tuesday, would continue until 3 pm on Thursday afternoon,” a state home department official said.
The home department notification issued by additional secretary Saradindu Chaudhuri quoting the director general of police said: “Incidents of rioting and arson have occurred in some areas under Jirania police station and photographs of such incidents are being uploaded in social media which may generate serious law and order situation in the entire state.”
Additional director general of police (law and order) Rajiv Singh said: “Some youths while demonstrating against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill turned violent at Madhab Bari in western Tripura on Tuesday. Police, Tripura State Rifles (TSR) and CRPF troopers after being unable to control the mob, opened fire injuring six tribal youths, two of them seriously.”
A security personel was also injured following an attack by agitators, who also burnt down at least 20 shops in the area.
The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed the controversial bill that seeks to remove hurdles in granting citizenship to eligible migrants, especially Hindus, from six minority groups from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Political parties, civil society members and the general public in the Northeast allege that the bill is an attempt to make illegal migrants eligible for Indian citizenship on the basis of religion.
