Imphal: Mobile internet ban in the violence-torn Manipur has been extended for another five days till October 11, officials said on Friday.
Commissioner (Home) T. Ranjit Singh said in his order, “There is apprehension that some anti-social elements might use social media extensively for transmission of images, hate speech and hate video messages inciting the passions of the public which might have serious repercussions for the law and order situation in the state of Manipur.”
On September 26, two days after the ban was lifted after 143 days, the Manipur government again suspended mobile internet data services, internet or data services for five days following massive students’ agitations and extended it again till October 6.
The students’ agitations in the last week of September were to protest the killings of a 17-year-old female student Hijam Linthoingambi and 20-year-old Phijam Hemjit, who hailed from Bishnupur district and had gone missing on July 6 during the height of ethnic violence.
The photographs of the two murdered students were circulated on different social media platforms on September 25, triggering intense agitations in which at least 100 students, were injured after they clashed with the security forces, who prevented them from marching towards the Chief Minister’s bungalow.
Meanwhile, annoyed with the suspension of mobile internet services in Manipur, a student body in Senapati district has imposed an indefinite economic blockade since Thursday evening, leaving several goods-laden vehicles stranded along the Manipur-Nagaland border.
The state government, following the students’ agitation, had also closed all government, government-aided, and private schools, which reopened on Friday.
With inputs from IANS