Petition In Supreme Court Over Internet Ban At Farmer Protest Cites J&K
Mumbai: A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking direction to the government to restore mobile internet in areas adjacent to the Delhi-Haryana border, where thousands of farmers are camping in protest against the three new agricultural laws.
A petition filed by two advocates, Sanpreet Singh Ajmani and Pushpinder Singh, said that shutting down the Internet is a violation of fundamental rights.
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Following a tractor rally by farmers on 26 January in Delhi, the authorities had shut down the internet at the protest sites to prevent trouble. It is believed that one person was killed near an ITO in central Delhi in an accident. The petition, however, demanded a judicial inquiry into the death.
“Access to the internet has been upheld as a part of the fundamental right by the Supreme Court in a matter related to Jammu and Kashmir … By shutting down the internet, the government is trying to stop farmers and journalists from bringing the true picture before the nation,” the petition said.
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“The internet has been suspended citing protests from the farmers and only the government’s statement is being brought forward, which is a blatant attack on fundamental rights … The entire Sikh community is blamed and defamed by some news channels, spreading hate against the community…” the petition said.
The petition also asked the Supreme Court for a direction to the government to remove iron nails and concrete barricades around the protest sites.
Farmers have been protesting at different borders of the national capital since November 26 last year against the three newly enacted farm laws: Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
(With Agency Inputs)
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