The Union home ministry has ordered temporary suspension of internet services in border areas of Delhi like Singhu, Ghazipur, Tikri, Mukarba Chowk and Nangloi under the public safety and emergency rules to avoid further deterioration of law and order in the wake of farmer protesters storming the capital.
The move came after the Delhi Police and the Intelligence Bureau identified a list of miscreants who were stirring trouble on the ground as well as on social media. The sleuths have warned that certain political forces, anti-national elements, Maoist overground elements and vested interests have taken over the farmers protests.
The social media cell of the Delhi police has been buzzing for the last few days and has been activated to monitor the online activities and identify miscreants who are aggravating the situation. The police and intelligence agencies have got technical evidence of such elements infiltrating the protests.
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The law and order in Delhi is the primary responsibility of the Union home ministry which has special powers to handle security and law and order matters in the national capital.
The failure of the Delhi Police that has led to the protesters storming the Red Fort is not limited to the police forces alone and raises questions about the strategy adopted by the Union home ministry in preventing the situation from going out of control.
The MHA has regularly been briefed by various police forces including the Intelligence Bureau and the warnings have been well documented since November about the threat from anti-national elements entering the protests and miscreants trying to take advantage of the situation.
The MHA, however, was of the view that any miscreants will be dealt with an iron hand. The message down the line was clear that as long as the protests are peaceful, the protesting farmers will be allowed to enter Delhi but the moment it goes out of control and there is violence in any form, the police will be free to take steps to maintain the law and order.
