12-hour internet shutdown ordered at Jantar Mantar amid protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar

Telecom companies on Friday were directed to suspend internet services in and around Delhi’s Jantar Mantar for 12 hours, where various organisations have gathered to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls.

This marks the second shutdown at the site in three months, following an internet suspension in July during a Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest over the NEET paper leak.

According to people aware of the details, service providers such as Airtel, Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea have been ordered to suspend the internet services from 9am to 9pm at Jantar Mantar and in areas within a 1.5 kilometre radius.

Also Read | Food deliveries swelled Jantar Mantar crowd: Delhi Police’s key lesson from July protests

HT has not seen the copy of the order. There was no immediate comment from either the Delhi government or the Centre at the time of filing this report.

Political parties and members of AISA, SFI, NSUI and other student bodies are protesting to demand Kumar's resignation over the alleged irregularities in the SIR of electoral rolls and mass deletion of voters. Police said permission had not been granted for the protest and around 700 protesters were detained from Jantar Mantar and nearby areas at the time of filing this report, PTI reported.

Also Read | 12 Delhi metro stations closed for entry and exit ahead of Jantar Mantar protest: Full list

In July, internet services were suspended in parts of central Delhi around Jantar Mantar – one of the longest suspicions in the Capital. It came during the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) protest demanding the resignation of then Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak.

Seven suspension orders were issued over five days between July 20 and July 25; ended only after Pradhan resigned on July 25 and the protest was called off. SFLC.in has challenged those orders in the Delhi High Court.

During the July protests, demonstrators turned to alternatives such as Bitchat Mesh, a Bluetooth-based app that lets nearby users exchange messages without internet access. The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), under the Home Ministry, also issued a notice to GitHub under section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act to remove URLs hosting the app, the app's founder Jack Dorsey said on X.

Also Read | Delhi Police says no permission granted for Jantar Mantar protest, gears up security

Delhi has seen internet shutdowns before, but these were usually brief and linked to specific law-and-order situations.

In December 2019, mobile internet was suspended for several hours in parts of the Capital during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, following orders from the Delhi Police. In January 2021, mobile internet was suspended in areas adjoining Delhi during the farmers' protests, and the suspension was later extended at border sites, including Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri.