Chandigarh: Indian authorities have blocked internet access for about 27 million people in the state of Punjab for a fourth straight day as police search for the Sikh separatist Amritpal Singh, who is on the run.
The Punjab government initially announced a 24-hour internet ban on Saturday as authorities launched an operation to arrest, but it was extended for a third time to midday Tuesday under a law that allows the connection to be cut to “prevent any incitement to violence and any disturbance of peace and public order.”
This is one of the country’s most extensive blackouts in recent years.
Police in Punjab have justified the internet shutdown as a means to maintain law and order and stop the spread of “fake news.”
Dramatic scenes captured on video and broadcast on local television showed hundreds of Singh’s supporters, some holding swords and sticks, walking through the streets of Punjab. Police and paramilitary troops were deployed across several districts in the state in a bid to maintain law and order.
At least 112 people have been arrested, Punjab police said.
