Manipur reimposes ban on mobile internet services for 5 days after fresh protests
Manipur on Tuesday once again suspended the mobile internet services for five days following a fresh protests.
In the state that flared up after two students were bruttaly murdered by suspected armed men. Scores of students on Tuesday took to streets and marched towards chief minister N Biren Singh’s residence demanding justice for the victims. The unrest took place after pictures of two students’ bodies went viral on social media.
All the schools in the state will also be remained closed tomorrow (September 27) in the wake of the protests. The administrative officials said the internet services have been suspended in view of the prevailing law and order situation and in an attempt to curb the spread of disinformation, false rumours and other violent activities.
“The state government decides to suspend/curb the mobile internet data services, internet/data services through VPN in the territorial jurisdiction of the state of Manipur for five days with immediate effect till 7:45 pm of October 10,” the circular said.
Internet services were recently restored in the state after almost a five month ban following the ethnic violence in May.
In one of the pictures, two students – a man, 20, and a girl, 17, – were seen sitting in a purportedly makeshift jungle camp of an armed group. Moreover, two men could also be seen in the picture standing behind them holding guns. They went missing during the peak of the ethnic violence in July.
In the next picture, bodies of both the student are seen crumpled on the ground. The head of the man appeared to be missing. The photos were taken on July 8 two days after the two students went missing.
According to the chief minister’s office, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken charge of the case, and the state governement has assured ‘swift and decisive’ against the perpetrators.
Manipur has been under the grips of widespread violence over the high court’s decision to including non-tribal Meitei community in the state to the list of scheduled tribes (ST), which spaked ethnic clashes largely between Meitei and the tribal Kuki communities.