The Delhi High Court on Friday agreed to urgently hear a petition challenging the suspension of internet services within a 1.5 km radius of Jantar Mantar, where protesting students are demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over examination irregularities.
The government on Thursday directed service providers to suspend services in central Delhi from 4 pm to midnight under the Telecom (Temporary Suspension of Services) Rules, 2024. The government maintained that the suspension was necessary in the interest of public safety and to avoid a public emergency. She said that the measure aims to maintain public order and prevent incitement to crimes. The suspension was extended until 12 noon on Friday.
The matter was mentioned before a bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia. The petitioner’s lawyer requested that the case be heard at 2:30 pm and informed the court that the petition had been filed. Accepting the request, the court agreed to hear the matter later in the day.
The internet shutdown order was first issued on Monday when tens of thousands of agitators marched to Parliament demanding Pradhan’s resignation. The demonstrators brought down the barricades and approached, leading to the closure of the gates of the Parliament complex.
Service providers have again been directed to temporarily suspend internet services following Wednesday’s clashes between protesters and security personnel. Users in the affected areas received alerts stating that internet services had been suspended in accordance with government instructions.
Activist Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike and forced deportation from Jantar Mantar last Saturday galvanized the protest movement. The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) called for the march to Parliament after a 23-day hunger strike in Jantar Mantar.
The CJP was formed following remarks by Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant, in which he referred to some people as “cockroaches” and “parasites”. The CJI maintained that his remarks were not directed at youth but at individuals who entered professions like law and media using “fake and fictitious degrees”.
The CJP attracted millions of followers on social media before it began a sit-in protest on June 6 demanding Pradhan’s resignation. Crowds swelled over the weekend, and by Monday morning, students and young professionals braved heavy barriers to join the protest.
