On Wednesday, the Nayab Singh Saini government in Haryana ordered a suspension of internet services across the entire Sirsa district until midnight Thursday, following the death of Dera Jagmalwali chief Bahadur Chand Vakil last week.
Vakil, the leader of Dera Jagmalwali in Sirsa, was cremated on Friday. His followers have claimed that his death involved foul play and are concerned about the succession of leadership, as a different faction is set to take over the Dera.
Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Anurag Rastogi issued the suspension order, citing concerns about potential unrest and disturbances. The order stated, “There is a risk of tension, agitation, and disruption of public peace that could lead to damage to public and private property in the district.”
The suspension aims to curb the spread of misinformation and rumors via social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter, as well as through SMS, which could facilitate the mobilization of agitators and demonstrators who might engage in violent activities, including arson and vandalism.
The Home Secretary directed the suspension of mobile internet services (2G/3G/5G/CDMA/GPRS), bulk SMS (excluding banking and mobile recharge), and all dongle services on mobile networks in Sirsa, while voice calls remain unaffected. The restrictions are set to be in place from August 7 at 5:00 PM to August 8 at 11:59 PM.
Exemptions from the ban include individual SMS, mobile recharge, banking SMS, voice calls, and internet services via broadband and lease lines for both corporate and domestic users.
In addition to Sirsa, Vakil’s followers in Fatehabad and other neighboring districts have also voiced suspicions about the circumstances of his death. They accuse Virender Singh Dhillon, who is poised to lead the Dera, of allegedly orchestrating Vakil’s murder and have called for a CBI investigation into the matter.
