Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh: The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday ordered a 48-hour suspension of internet services in Bareilly district as a precaution to curb rumours and avoid communal tensions during Dussehra.
The ban, which includes mobile internet, broadband, and SMS, will be in force from 3 pm on October 2 until 3 pm on October 4, officials confirmed.
In his directive, Home Secretary Gaurav Dayal noted that platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, and YouTube could be exploited to spread false information and provoke unrest.
The order stated that the decision was necessary “to maintain peace and public order.”
Security arrangements have been intensified across the four districts of Bareilly division, with significant deployment of police, Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), and Rapid Action Force (RAF). Drones are also being used for aerial monitoring.
The decision follows violent clashes on September 26, when around 2,000 people confronted police outside a mosque in Bareilly’s Kotwali area after Friday prayers.
That unrest, marked by stone-pelting, was connected to the cancellation of a protest led by cleric Tauqeer Khan over the “I Love Muhammad” poster controversy.