After Haryana court on Sunday extended Congress MLA Mamman Khan's police remand by two days, the state administration has once again ordered the district's mobile internet and bulk SMS services to be suspended till Tuesday midnight, news agency PTI reported. Officials said Khan's remand was prolonged by two days in connection with a FIR filed at the Nagina police station. The MLA from Ferozepur Jhirka, who was listed in a separate FIR filed on August 1 following the communal riots in Nuh, was apprehended late Thursday night in Rajasthan. The accusations in that FIR include inciting hatred amongst different religious groups.
Additional Chief Secretary (Home) TVSN Prasad issued an order in Chandigarh on Sunday evening suspending mobile internet and bulk SMS services (except banking and cell recharge). According to the order, the decision has been taken “to stop the spread of misinformation and rumours through various social media platforms, such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter etc., on mobile phones and SMS for facilitation and mobilisation of mobs of agitators and demonstrators who can cause serious loss of life and damage to private properties by indulging in arson or vandalism and other types of violent activities."
According to the order, mobile internet and bulk SMS services in Nuh will be halted from 6 p.m. on September 17 until 11:59 p.m. on September 19.
The Haryana government ordered the suspension of mobile internet and bulk SMS services in Nuh for two days on Friday, only hours after Khan was detained.
The new directive was “issued to prevent any disturbance of peace and public order in the jurisdiction of district Nuh in the state of Haryana and shall be in force with effect from September 17 (1800 hrs) to September 19 (2359 hrs)”.
After Khan appeared in court on Friday, police obtained a two-day detention for him.
During Khan's remand, authorities confiscated his phone and laptop and searched his social media accounts for evidence.
'Political With-Hunt': Congress On MLA Mamman Khan's Police Remand
The Congress party in Haryana said on Sunday that its MLA Mamman Khan was jailed as a result of a "political witch-hunt" and requested a judicial investigation into the July 31 Nuh violence overseen by a high court judge.
Former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition in the Haryana Assembly Bhupinder Singh Hooda, together with state Congress president Udai Bhan, released a joint statement, questioning the government's "afraid of a judicial inquiry." “Judicial inquiry will bring out the truth and everything would be revealed to the public which will be acceptable to all,” the statement was quoted by PTI in its report.
“People of Haryana know that Congress MLA Mamman Khan was arrested due to a political witch-hunt, hence it is necessary for the truth to come out,” it said.
Bhan and Hooda said that incendiary social media postings were being shared 15 days before the tragedy while the administration was asleep.
“This makes it clear that there is definitely something dark and sinister that the government is trying to hide. The government’s inaction seems to indicate either its complicity or its failure,” they said.
Hooda claimed the “people of the state do not trust the investigation of Haryana Police” as the violence took place due to its “failure”.
“Despite the government already having intelligence reports about the deteriorating situation and local Congress (Nuh) MLA Aftab Ahmed continuously informing the local police administration about the deteriorating situation, the government did not take any action in time,” Hooda alleged.