• Haryana suspends Internet, bulk SMS in Nuh for 24 hours ahead of religious procession

    National
    Haryana suspends Internet, bulk SMS in Nuh for 24 hours ahead of religious procession
    Stringent security measures have been implemented by the police in Nuh to ensure the smooth conduct of the yatra...

    Digital Desk: The Haryana government has suspended mobile internet and bulk SMS services in Nuh district for 24 hours ahead of the Braj Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra. This decision follows the violence that marred the same event last year. 

    Haryana Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Anurag Rastogi issued an order stating that internet services in the district will be suspended from 6 pm on Sunday to 6 pm on Monday. The order cited concerns over potential tensions, agitation, property damage, and disturbances to public peace in Nuh.

    The suspension aims "to stop the spread of misinformation and rumors" on social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter. 

    Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini emphasized the importance of maintaining harmony during the religious event. "We have alerted the officials. I want to appeal to the people that this is a religious event. We live in a society of harmony," he said. "The yatra passes through the Braj Mandal by the devotees of Lord Krishna. There should be cooperation during the yatra to make it successful."

    Stringent security measures have been implemented by the police in Nuh to ensure the smooth conduct of the yatra. Local police, commando units, mounted police, dog squads, and bomb squads are strategically placed across the district. Drones and dog squads are being used for ongoing search operations and surveillance, and all vehicles entering and leaving the district undergo video recording and inspections at various checkpoints.

    Mounted police are visibly present at several locations within the district, and a flag march was conducted under the supervision of the Superintendent of Police in Nuh to reassure the public.

    Additionally, the police have denied permission for cow vigilante Bittu Bajrangi to attend the yatra. Bajrangi, the national president of Goraksha Bajrang Force, was arrested last year for making divisive statements that allegedly incited communal clashes in Nuh district.

    The decision to suspend internet services comes in the wake of last year's violence on July 31, when two home guards were killed, and at least 15 others, including several policemen, were injured. A mob in Nuh district attempted to stop a Vishva Hindu Parishad procession by throwing stones and setting cars on fire. Later that night, a mob targeted a mosque in Gurugram, resulting in the death of its naib imam. The interfaith clash led to the deaths of at least five people and left many others injured.

    The government hopes that these preventive measures will ensure a peaceful and successful Braj Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra this year.