Ahead of Jat stir, Internet services banned in Sonepat district

Chandigarh: With a section of the Jat community leadership going ahead with its call for agitation for reservation from Sunday, the administration in Haryana's Sonipat district banned all Internet services. "With a view to ward off any tension, fights, threats to human life, damage to property and deterioration in the law and order situation, District Magistrate, Sonipat, K. Makarand Pandurang, has issued orders to ban all Internet services, including Internet 2G, 3G, 4G, Edge, GPRS and Bulk SMS sent via mobile, under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code with effect from June 4, 2016. "This ban would be effective till further orders," a state government spokesman said here on Saturday. The ban has been imposed to prevent people from misusing these services might be used to spread wrong information and rumours, the district magistrate said. "These services could also be used in illegal activities such as blocking roads, highways and railway tracks, damaging government property and disrupting essential services and supply of food. Social media such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Flickr, Tumblr, Google Plus and mobile internet could be misused for this purpose," he added. All telecom service providers have been directed to strictly abide by these orders, he added. The Rohtak district administration on Saturday issued notices to four people for violating Section 144 imposed in the district by pitching tents for 'dharna' without permission of the competent authority. Rohtak Deputy Commissioner Atul Kumar said that notices have been issued to former sarpanch of village Rithal, Umed Singh, Sombir Singh, resident of village Jasiya, Ashok Balhara of Dev Colony and Vijaydeep of Rohtak, for pitching tents near Kanhi Chowk in village Jasiya, for which permission was not sought from the administration. "They have been directed to remove the tents immediately," he said, adding that the ground in Sector 6 had been earmarked for the dharna and restriction has been imposed on gathering of five or more persons within 500 metres of all national and state highways, railway lines and stations and connecting roads in the district.