Internet Shutdown Ordered Around New Delhi's Jantar Mantar

India's Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has ordered telecom service providers to suspend mobile internet services within a 4-kilometer radius of the Janpath–Kartavya Path crossing in New Delhi. The order is effective from 10 PM on October 9 to 10 PM on October 10. Media reports indicate the MHA has classified the directive as "Top Secret," and it has not been officially made public.

The shutdown area is near a planned protest site announced by the Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP), which seeks the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner over alleged discrepancies. Delhi Police have denied permission for this protest, citing that prior notification requirements were not met.

The official notice does not specify the grounds for the internet suspension, the rationale behind the 4-km radius, or which specific events or protests it pertains to. This recent shutdown covers an area approximately 2.5 times larger than the 1.5-km radius shutdown imposed on October 2.

MediaNama previously reported that in July, the MHA suspended internet services around Jantar Mantar during protests concerning the NEET exam paper leak. During that period, protesters utilized Bluetooth-based mesh messaging applications, prompting the government to direct Apple and Google to remove the app 'BitChat' from their app stores.