CJP protest in Delhi: Mobile internet suspended near Janpath-Kartavya Path
New Delhi: As part of the beefed-up security ahead of the CJP protest, the Delhi Police announced the temporary suspension of internet and mobile internet services in a 4 km radius from the Janpath-Kartavya Path crossing from Friday evening.
The 24-hour suspension of mobile internet services would continue till 10 p.m. on Saturday, said a police official.
The Delhi Police have maintained that permission for the proposed CJP demonstration has been denied due to the organisers’ failure to comply with legal directions and their own undertakings during an earlier protest.
After seeking the nod from the Union Home Ministry for the suspension of internet services, Manishi Chandra, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Special Cell (HQ), wrote to nodal officers of telecom companies to take steps for implementing the 24-hour curbs.
The DCP’s letter received by the telecom companies said the curbs are being enforced as the Union Home Secretary has considered and approved the police request for suspending internet services under sub-rule (1) of Rule 3 of the Telecommunications (Temporary Suspension of Services) Rules, 2024, read with Section 20(2)(b) of the Telecommunications Act, 2023, to suspend mobile internet services.
The telecom operators were requested to enforce the internet curbs at and around a radius of 4 km from the Janpath-Kartavya Path crossing from 10 p.m. on Friday to 10 p.m. on Saturday.
The internet curbs were in addition to the closure of 57 Delhi Metro stations that came into force from 9 p.m. on Friday.
The police said Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) was in force in the New Delhi area, with preventive restrictions imposed to maintain public order and safety.
The proposal to shut down stations has been sent to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) officials, said an official. These stations include Rajiv Chowk, Janpath, Patel Chowk, Central Secretariat, Lok Kalyan Marg, Supreme Court, Mandi House, Barakhamba Road, ITO, Delhi Gate, Kashmere Gate, Sarai Kale Khan-Nizamuddin, Lajpat Nagar, Jangpura, Vishwavidyalaya, Civil Lines, Okhla Vihar, Jamia Millia Islamia, Ashram, Rohini West, Welcome, Shalimar Bagh, Adarsh Nagar and Hauz Khas.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Railways, B. Bharat Reddy said that they have deployed 334 Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel and sought 14 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) to strengthen security arrangements ahead of the CJP protest scheduled for Saturday at Jantar Mantar.
Speaking to IANS, Reddy said special security arrangements had been made at major railway stations to manage the movement of protesters arriving in Delhi by train to participate in the demonstration.
“CJP has called for a protest at Jantar Mantar on October 10. For protesters coming to Delhi by train to participate in the demonstration, we have deployed 334 GRP personnel and sought 14 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF). The deployment will be round-the-clock. Delhi has seven major railway stations that receive the highest number of trains and witness the highest footfall,” he said.
He added that security personnel would remain deployed round-the-clock at these stations.
Addressing concerns over travel disruptions, Reddy said passengers whose trains had not been diverted and were scheduled to arrive at their designated stations would face no inconvenience.
