Indian Mobile Operators Suspend Services in Capital in Bid to Curb Protests
19 Dicembre 2019 - 10:39AM
Dow Jones News
By Newley Purnell and Krishna Pokharel
NEW DELHI--Indian telecommunications operators suspended mobile
services in parts of the capital on government orders as
authorities tried to thwart protests against a new citizenship law
favoring non-Muslim immigrants.
Bharti Airtel Ltd. and Vodafone Idea Ltd., two of India's three
largest carriers by subscribers, told customers Thursday on Twitter
that they were complying with government instructions to suspend
voice, text messaging and mobile internet services in some areas of
New Delhi.
Representatives of the carriers declined to comment.
A spokeswoman for India's Ministry of Home Affairs couldn't
immediately be reached for comment.
Authorities banned large gatherings in cities across India on
Thursday, including parts of the capital, ahead of planned
nationwide protests by students and civil-society groups demanding
the Citizenship Amendment Act be repealed.
Prime Minister Modi's government last week pushed through the
bill, which created a simplified pathway to citizenship for
immigrants of all the major religions of South Asia, except Islam.
Protests in Muslim-dominated parts of New Delhi have broken out in
recent days.
In India's technology hub of Bangalore, police detained civic
leaders Thursday, including noted historian Ramchandra Guha, who
participated in a banned demonstration against the law.
In the capital, a large crowd of protesters gathered around the
city's iconic Red Fort area, despite a police ban on such
assemblies. Several subway stations around the area were shut down
to make it harder for the protesters to reach the site.
Authorities in Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state, also
banned large gatherings.
Internet services have also been disrupted in recent days in the
Northeastern state of Assam, which has seen protests related to the
legislation. Parts of the state of Jammu and Kashmir have had
internet services suspended since early August, when the government
removed the special autonomous status the only Muslim-majority
state in India had enjoyed.
Write to Newley Purnell at newley.purnell@wsj.com and Krishna
Pokharel at krishna.pokharel@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
December 19, 2019 04:24 ET (09:24 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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