Mobile Internet Suspended Near Jantar Mantar Until Midnight; Restrictions Imposed Near Amit Shah’s Home

Digital Blackout, Heavy Barricades: Capital Is Holding Back As Protests Swell

Central New Delhi is a fortress. In an attempt to contain the never-ending wave of student-led protests like the Cockroach Janta Party, the authorities resorted to a drastic step by cutting off mobile internet services within 1.5 kilometres of Jantar Mantar, which was kept under blackout till midnight.

For those trying to commute, do business or simply stay connected in Connaught Place and Mandi House, the sudden dead zone of connectivity added an eerie layer of tension to an already volatile day.

Drawing the Line in the Sand

The police imposed Section 163 of the BNSS (the modern equivalent of Section 144) to curb public gatherings, along with the digital blackout. With this brutal decree, all gatherings without permission are outlawed, and the police are given broad authority to empty the streets.

The security cordon was not limited to Jantar Mantar. Sensitive government zones were locked down with the speedy arrival of heavy barricades and rows of paramilitary personnel and riot-control units, including a heavy-handed security ring and explicit warnings right outside the official residence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The establishment’s message was clear: the state is drawing a line in the sand.

The City-Wide Ripple Effect

The standoff is taking a heavy toll on daily life in the capital:

• Closed shops: After advisories from local bodies, merchants and restaurant owners in Connaught Place closed early, watching their evening business disappear into the uncertainty of the street.

• Whispers, panic: The Internet went dead. The rumour mill exploded. Horrific text chains warned of a midnight crackdown on the remaining protestors at Jantar Mantar. The police were forced to make statements asking people to remain calm and denying any plans for a late-night raid.

• Political Fireworks – The heavy-handed measures have only added fuel to the fire. Opposition leaders were quick to assemble at Gandhi Smriti and Rajghat, denouncing the internet shutdowns and barricades as a direct assault on the right to dissent.

As night falls over a barricaded, darkened central Delhi, the standoff between a deeply defensive state and a stubbornly unyielding youth movement hangs heavy in the balance.