Amid the countrywide protests, a section of Twitter users are up in arms against the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government for frequently shutting down Internet services in several states.
When people of Delhi Assam were crying for the temporary internet shutdown
— Tanveer aSh (@Tanveer19589450) December 23, 2019
Just think abt kashmiris who r living without internet since more thn 5mnths now #NoNetBandi
As per reports, India is ranked No. 1 for snapping the Internet. Since 2012, the Internet has been shut down in India a total of 375 times. Most of these blockages have occurred during the last two years — 134 in 2018 and 103 in 2019.
And this is till May 2018. India has seen 231 shutdowns in last 2 years. According to @IndiaToday #NoNetBandi pic.twitter.com/8D5gY5YBwe
— Darpan Tikiya (@DarpanTikiya) December 23, 2019
Netizens are running a campaign to sign the petition and make people heard to stop Internet shutdown in India.
India is No 1 When it comes to shutting down the internet undemocratically...
— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) December 23, 2019
Sign this petition & make your self heard while you’ve some WiFi. https://t.co/3JpXhksa44
Use the hashtag - #NoNetBandi
Maro RT pic.twitter.com/r6GpM78Fgj
Bruh what the actual fuck, we've had 135 more shutdowns than fkn Pakistan! Wow!#nonetbandi https://t.co/84AmiSEcjF
— 𝔻𝕖𝕩𝕥𝕖𝕣 (@randomhuman9669) December 23, 2019
Internet services have been suspended in the Kashmir valley since August over security concerns in view of the abrogation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and dividing it into two union territories of the federal government. Later, amid the countrywide agitations against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Internet services were suspended in the states of Assam, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh for brief periods.
The state of Assam witnessed 10 days of mobile Internet services being cut.
The new law grants citizenship to illegal immigrants from six religious minorities – Hindus, Parsis, Jains, Christians, Buddhists, and Sikhs, from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, if they arrived in India prior to 31 December 2014.
However, it excludes Muslims - a decision viewed by many protesters as a violation of the Indian constitution.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, however, has clarified that the act "doesn't target any Indian citizen", and insisted it is not anti-Muslim.
On the other hand, the implementation of the National Register of Citizens, while currently restricted to the north-eastern state of Assam, and monitored by the Supreme Court of India, aims to identify genuine citizens of the country and deport illegal immigrants to their respective countries.
Prime Minister Modi has clarified it is not being considered for implementation in the country.
