On Monday, the government ordered a temporary suspension of mobile internet services until 6 p.m. in parts of central Delhi, including the Jantar Mantar area. This measure was implemented as thousands of demonstrators gathered for the 'Chalo Sansad' march organized by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Major telecommunications providers, such as Airtel, Reliance Jio, and Vodafone Idea, received official directives to halt service. Representatives from two major telecom companies confirmed they had received the orders, though they did not specify which state department issued them.
Clashes and public dissatisfaction
Network disruptions began around 10 a.m. when police blocked protesters from marching toward Parliament. Law enforcement officers used tear gas and batons to control the crowd and prevent them from breaching barricades. Local residents and demonstrators received text messages in both Hindi and English notifying them that internet services were suspended due to government directives.
Criticism from digital rights advocates
Digital rights experts criticized the shutdown, pointing out that the official suspension order was not made public, which violates Supreme Court guidelines. They argued that without a published document, citizens cannot verify which authority authorized the shutdown, its legal basis, or its precise duration and geographic scope.
Internet shutdown statistics in India
According to available data, India has already experienced 24 internet shutdowns in 2026. The number of shutdowns was also high in previous years: 54 in 2025, 60 in 2024, 96 in 2023, 77 in 2022, 100 in 2021, 132 in 2020, 109 in 2019, and a peak of 136 in 2018. Currently, active restrictions remain in place in central Delhi and the Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir.
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