140 lawyers have written to Chief Justice of India totake suo-motu cognizance of suspension of internet around Delhi amid theprotests by farmers against contentious farm laws.
The tractor parade run amok on January 26 and manypolicemen were injured. Moreover, many farmers are also being claimed asmissing by the unions and Punjab government has set up a helpine number to findthose missing since Republic day.
The government of Haryana resorted to the suspension ofinternet in around 17 districts. Similarly, the Ministry of Home Affairsordered interim internet blackout in Delhi and around protest sites. Later onthe order was extended after the violent encounterrs at Singhu border onJanuary 29 between alleged 'locals' who were later found to be backed by afringe group named, Hindu-Sena.
The government had said, "(It is necessary tosuspend internet) in the interest of maintaining public safety and avertingpublic emergency."
The group of 140 lawyers in a letter has written that theviolence was perpetrated by local hoodlums. It has been alleged that so calledlocals, around 200 of them barged into the protest site and pelted stones onthe farmers and damaged their make-shift residential tents.
The letter written to the CJI has been drafted byAdvocates Sitwat Nabi and Abhist Hela. It stated, "As internet servicesremain suspended in and around the protests venues and its adjoining areas forthe sixth consecutive day, farmers are rightly convinced that their voices arebeing shunned down and only one-sided narrative of the government is beingpushed forward, which is a clear attack on the fundamental values of theconstitution."
It added, "access to internet is a fundamental rightunder Article-19 of the constitution, subject to some restrictions and saidfreedom of the press is a valuable and sacred right."
The letter further added, "Embedding more than 2,000iron nails, multi-layer metal barricades, cement wall, and heavily, armedsecurity officials- these cannot be considered as law and order situations.This should be rather termed as fortification! These activities are deprivingthe protesting farmers of their basic human rights and are in gross violation ofthe Right to life enshrined under Article-21 of the constitution."