Farmers’ protest: Haryana suspends mobile internet and bulk SMS services in 12 villages of Ambala  

Ahead of the third farmers’ protest march to Delhi from the Shambhu border, the Haryana government has suspended mobile internet and bulk SMS services in 12 villages in Ambala district, aiming to maintain “public peace”. 

The suspension will be in effect from 6 am on December 14 until 11:59 pm on December 17, as per an order issued by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sumita Misra. 

A group of 101 farmers plans to resume their foot march to Delhi at noon today from the Shambhu border. The farmers are demanding a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP) for crops and are urging the government to engage in talks to resolve their issues. 

The order cited a warning from Haryana’s Additional Director General of Police, CID, and the Ambala Deputy Commissioner about the potential for unrest, disturbances, and damage to both public and private property. The order emphasised concerns regarding the planned “Delhi Kooch” by farmer groups, which could lead to tensions and disruptions in the region. 

The affected villages include Dangdehri, Lehgarh, Manakpur, Dadiyana, Bari Ghel, Choti Ghel, Lharsa, Kalu Majra, Devi Nagar (Hira Nagar, Naresh Vihar), Saddopur, Sultanpur, and Kakru in Ambala. The suspension of services is intended to prevent any public disorder.  

A heavy security presence has been deployed along the Haryana side of the border to manage the situation. Earlier, the state had imposed a similar suspension of mobile internet, SMS, and dongle services from December 6 to 9. 

The latest order warned that the misuse of internet services could lead to the spread of inflammatory material and false rumours through social media platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter. This could potentially incite violence and cause harm to public and private properties. To prevent this, the government has suspended mobile internet services, bulk SMS, and dongle services while exempting voice calls. 

o,, thus safeguarding both the state’s commercial interests and individuals' basic needs. 

The farmers, united under the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (a non-political alliance) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, have been protesting at Shambhu and Khanauri border points since February 13, following a halt to their march to Delhi by security forces. 

(With inputs from PTI)