Internet Shutdown Near Jantar Mantar: The Ministry of Home Affairs has again stopped mobile internet around Delhi’s Jantar Mantar area as the protest led by the Cockroach Janta Party keeps growing. The latest order keeps the shutdown in place till midnight on Thursday and covers a 1.5-km radius around the protest site. The reason given is “public safety and averting public emergency”. The move has come at a tense time, as the government is dealing with repeated protest activity, crowd movement, and reports of unrest in the area.
The internet cut has added to a longer stretch of restrictions in Central Delhi. The order was approved under the Telecommunication Act, 2023 and the Telecommunications (Temporary Suspension of Services) Rules, 2024. The latest action also follows earlier suspensions in the same zone since July 17. People linked to the protest say the shutdown makes it harder for them to talk to others, share updates, or stay safe while the demonstration continues.
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Connaught Place and Colleges get Alerts
As the protest scene became more tense, the New Delhi Traders Association asked shops, offices and restaurants in Connaught Place to close from 6.30 PM on Thursday itself. In its advisory, the group said, “All establishment owners/occupiers are requested to cooperate and ensure strict compliance with the above directions to avoid any unpleasant situation and save yourself from any loss of property and injury,”.
Delhi University also told students and faculty not to join the Jantar Mantar protest and said they should stay safe and follow the law. The university warning added, “Such activities can also pose serious risks to students’ personal safety and significantly impact their academic progress and professional opportunities,”.
CJP keeps pushing for talks
The CJP has kept demanding a direct talk with Union ministers at a neutral place such as Jantar Mantar or the Constitution Club. The group says it is ready for dialogue, but only on fair ground, and it says the Centre has still not answered that request in the way it wants.
The protest outfit is also pushing for accountability over education issues, especially the demand for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation in the NEET paper leak case. In live updates on Thursday, the Centre said it had already sent formal proposals for talks four times since Wednesday afternoon, and Union minister Dr Jitendra Singh said the government was open to discussion at any place and any time.
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Rights Groups Question the Shutdown
The internet stoppage has also drawn criticism from digital rights groups. The Internet Freedom Foundation said the shutdown in Central Delhi should be questioned under the legal rules made after the Supreme Court’s Anuradha Bhasin judgment.
In its statement, IFF said no suspension order had been made public at the time and pointed to the need for written reasons, clear limits and proper review. That judgment said internet-linked speech and business rights are protected under Articles 19(1)(a) and 19(1)(g) of the Constitution, so critics argue that repeated shutdowns can become a serious legal and civil rights issue.
The bigger worry now is what happens next if the protest continues into Friday. With more police movement, internet cuts, and warnings from traders and colleges, the atmosphere around Jantar Mantar remains very tense. The CJP says it wants to keep protesting, but it also says the restrictions are making things unsafe and harder to manage.
