Mobile data services in Haryana’s Nuh district have been shut down for 24 hours, from 9 pm on 13 July until 9 pm on Monday, as the administration prepares to ensure a peaceful Braj Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra. While voice calls remain unaffected, only banking- and recharge-related SMS will work during the suspension, the Home Department said in an order issued on Saturday night.
Mobile internet and bulk SMS blocked
Invoking Section 20 of The Telecommunications Act, 2023 and Rule 3 of the Telecommunications (Temporary Suspension of Services) Rules, 2024, Haryana Home Secretary issued directions to all telecom operators to disable mobile data (2G/3G/4G/5G/CDMA/GPRS), bulk SMS (other than banking and recharge alerts) and dongle-based services across Nuh district.
The order cites intelligence inputs from the Additional Director General of Police (CID) and the Deputy Commissioner warning that “inflammatory material and false rumours” circulating online could trigger tension, vandalism and damage to public and private property. The suspension, it adds, was crafted “after taking utmost care of public convenience” by exempting broadband, leased-line and individual SMS facilities.
Massive security cover for Braj Mandal Jalabhishek yatra
Around 2,500 police personnel will be on duty to secure Monday’s religious procession. Fourteen deputy superintendents of police (DSPs) have been assigned and 28 checkpoints set up along the route, where videography and thorough checks will be carried out.
Mounted police, sniffer dogs, a bomb-disposal squad, four drones and 21 video cameras will bolster surveillance, while commando teams stand ready for any contingency. “Complete caution is being taken by Nuh Police,” a police spokesperson said, as per news agency PTI.
Deputy Commissioner Vishram Kumar Meena has ordered all government and private schools in Nuh to remain shut on 14 July. In a letter to the district education officer, he noted that “major traffic diversions will be enforced” for the procession, and warned that students could face commuting difficulties.
“Therefore, as a precautionary measure and in the interest of the safety and convenience of the students, it is advised that all government and private schools in District Nuh shall remain closed on Monday (July 14),” the letter read.
The heightened security follows violence on 31 July 2023, when a Vishwa Hindu Parishad procession in Nuh was attacked, leaving five people dead — including two home guards — and dozens injured. In neighbouring Gurugram, a naib imam was killed the same night amid a spate of arson incidents.
Authorities say Monday’s temporary internet blockade and security deployment are aimed at preventing any repeat of those clashes and ensuring the yatra proceeds peacefully.