Not Just J&K, 8 Other States Saw Internet Clampdown In Last 30 Days

The central government suspended Internet services across eight states have been shut down on multiple occasions in the last month.

The latest being Northeast states where protests over the Citizenship Amendment Act are going on. The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, meanwhile, entered its 135th day of internet shutdown, making it the second-longest such period in India ever.

After the contentious Citizenship Amendment Bill was passed in Rajya Sabha last week, protests have erupted in several parts of the country. The Intenet services were suspended in parts of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh, to prevent the distribution of fake news.

Assam has turned out to be the epicentre of the protests against the recent amendments to the Citizenship Act.

Last month the Internet services were suspended in Agra and Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan and Madhya before the Ayodhya Verdict by the apex court.

In Jammu and Kashmir, the Internet services were suspended on August 4, the night before the Centre announced abrogation of Article 370. The restrictions now only remain in the Kashmir Valley.

The previous longest internet shutdown in India was in 2016 in Jammu and Kashmir after security forces killed Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. The shutdown lasted for 202 days – from July 8, 2016, to January 7, 2017. Postpaid and SMS services were restored after three months, but prepaid internet services were reinstated next year.
Also Read: India Tops List Of Countries With Most Internet Shutdown In World, Over 100 Incidents Reported In 2018