Published 16:38 IST, December 19th 2019
CAA: Guwahati HC directs Assam govt to restore mobile internet services
The Gauhati High Court directed the Assam state government to restore mobile internet services by 5 pm on Thursday, amidst increasing protests over the CAA.
The Gauhati High Court directed the Assam government to restore mobile internet services by 5 pm on Thursday. A division bench of Justices Manojit Bhuyan and Saumitra Saikia gave the direction after hearing four PILs filed by journalist Ajit Kumar Bhuyan, and advocates Bonoshri Gogoi, Randeep Sharma and Debakanta Doley. Mobile and broadband internet services were suspended on the evening of December 11, following incidents of violence during protests against the amended Citizenship Act. Broadband services have already resumed in Assam. The court observed that that it is open to the state authorities taking steps to curb the dissemination of "explosive messages, video" on various social media platforms which may have a tendency to incite violence and destructions affecting public safety.
On Wednesday, the state industry minister Chandra Mohan Patwary said Popular Front of India’s state unit chief Aminul Haque has been arrested in connection with involvement in the attack on the Dispur secretariat (Janata Bhawan) on December 11. The minister had also said that curb on mobile internet will continue for some time as the situation is not yet congenial for the restoration of the services. A team of state BJP MLAs led by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal will visit New Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi once the situation improves.
A citizen said, "We conducted most of our banking transactions online or through debit and credit cards but over the past six days, we have become dependent on cash."
Internet services have been suspended in Assam since December 11 following protests against the citizenship law. There have been massive protests across the country to protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Massive protests have been taking place across the country over the CAA which was passed in the Parliament last Wednesday, after intense discussions in both Houses which went on for more than 10 hours. The government has repeatedly claimed that the Act is not discriminatory in nature and will not be of any threat to Muslims. Multiple protests have broken out across the country against the CAA, which allows non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Pakistan to seek residence in India.
(Inputs from PTI)
Updated 17:11 IST, December 19th 2019