Protests intensified across various districts in Haryana on Friday against the Centre’s new Agnipath scheme for recruiting soldiers across the three services.
A mob of protesters blocked the railway tracks in Narwana in Jind district and stopped a goods train and a passenger train, prompting heavy police deployment led by Superintendent of Police Kuldeep Singh at Narwana railway station. With crowds swelling, railway police were also deployed, police officials at the spot revealed.
Police across the state are on high alert with youngsters coming out on the roads and blocking traffic at Mahavir Chowk in Narnaund, Hisar, and at various places in Rohtak. The state government also temporarily suspended internet services in Ballabgarh in Faridabad district.
The decision came a day after internet services were suspended in Palwal on Thursday after protests turned violent with protesters blocking roads, pelting stones and torching vehicles.
“Government has issued temporary suspension of mobile internet services (2G/3G/4G/CDMA/GPRS), all SMS services ( only including bulk SMS and excluding banking and mobile recharge), and all dongle services etc. provided on mobile networks except the voice calls in the territorial jurisdiction of sub division Ballabgarh of district Faridabad and will be in force for next 24 hours with immediate effect for next 24 hours, ” a home department order read.
An official spokesperson said that there was a possibility that public peace and tranquillity in Ballabgarh would be disturbed by protesters, miscreants and antisocial elements, causing tension, annoyance, obstruction or injury to persons, or danger to human life.
The spokesperson said that internet services were temporarily suspended to stop the spread of disinformation and rumours through various social media platforms, such as WhatsApp, Facebook Twitter, etc, for the facilitation and mobilisation of mobs that could cause serious loss of life and damage to public and private properties by indulging in arson, vandalism etc.
“All telecom service providers of Haryana are hereby directed to ensure the compliance of this order and any person found guilty of the violation of the aforesaid order will be liable for legal action under relevant provisions,” the order read.
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