‘Suspension of cellular internet services needed in exigencies’: MHA reply to SC notice
The Indian Ministry of Home Affairs has requested a modification to a Supreme Court order, arguing that the temporary suspension of cellular internet is a necessary measure to maintain public order during protests. The government submitted an unconditional apology for contempt while simultaneously defending the legal necessity of the internet shutdowns.
Why it matters
This case highlights the ongoing tension between state security measures, the right to protest, and digital rights in the context of Indian constitutional law.
NEW DELHI: Continuing with its tough stand against protesters, the home ministry Thursday sought modification of Supreme Court’s Oct 11 order for allowing “unhindered internet services” and said exigencies such as disturbance of public order required temporary suspension of cellular internet services, as was the case between 10 pm on Oct 9 to 10 pm on Oct 10 in a 4-km radius of Raisina Hill.In an affidavit filed in response to a contempt of court notice, home secretary Govind Mohan justified Delhi Police’s request for suspension of cellular internet services and said it was “found to be a proportionate measure, having regard to the magnitude of the situation and the need to prevent any disturbance of public order in the national capital”.“The suspension was confined to cellular internet services and did not extend to non-cellular internet services or telecommunications services such as wi-fi and broadband,” he said, emphasising that suspension…
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