The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) approved a 24-hour suspension of mobile internet services in New Delhi amid the ongoing protests against the chief election commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, in the capital. 

The shutdown will come into effect from 10 PM on October 9 to 10 PM on October 10 and will impact a 4-km radius of the Janpath-Kartavya Path in New Delhi. The order has been issued in the interest of public security under the Telecommunications (Temporary Suspension of Services) Rules, 2024. 

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has also reportedly issued an advisory, urging major social media platforms to prioritise action against unlawful, false, or manipulated content linked to the protests. 

As per a report by PTI, the MeitY directs tech firms to proactively remove ‘unlawful’ posts, label synthetically generated media depicting current events, and ensure swift cooperation with law enforcement agencies within timelines stipulated under the IT Rules, 2021. 

Meanwhile, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation announced that 57 Metro stations will be shut from 9 PM onwards, citing “security reasons”. Liquor vendors have been shut and barricades put up in the national capital, while central police personnel have also been deployed. 

In July, during the NEET protest, the Delhi Police requested app-based aggregators to regulate operations around the central Delhi area. 

So far in 2026, India has seen 31 instances of internet shutdowns, as per the Software Freedom Law Centre’s Internet Shutdowns Tracker. 

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