Internet services were suspended in the Jantar Mantar area of Delhi on Friday as protests against the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls intensified, Hindustan Times reported.
Telecom companies were issued orders to suspend internet services from 9 am to 9 pm within a 1.5-km radius of the protest site, according to the report.
The move came as student organisations and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders gathered at Jantar Mantar to protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and demand his resignation over the SIR exercise and alleged voter deletions.
Soon after the protesters began raising slogans, police declared the gathering illegal and asked them to vacate the area. Officials warned that action could be taken against those who refused to leave the protest site.
Members of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) participated in the demonstration, raising slogans against the Election Commission.
Visuals shared by news agency ANI showed a large group of protesters gathered at Jantar Mantar.
Delhi AAP president Saurabh Bharadwaj and party leader Sanjeev Jha were removed from the protest site by police amid the ongoing situation.
Several protesters attempting to enter the Jantar Mantar area from the Ashoka Road side were detained by police and taken away in buses.
Security arrangements were tightened in and around the protest area, with authorities restricting movement on nearby roads.
Delhi Traffic Police had earlier issued an advisory asking commuters to avoid Jantar Mantar, Parliament Street, Ashoka Road and adjoining stretches due to expected disruptions.