New Delhi/Chandigarh: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology issued emergency blocking orders against 177 social media accounts and links related to the farmer protests to maintain “public order”.
The orders were issued against 35 Facebook links, 35 Facebook accounts, 14 Instagram accounts, 42 X accounts, 49 X links, one Snapchat account, and one Reddit account. Representatives from Meta, X and Snapchat attended a meeting yesterday with the section 69A blocking committee after a request by the home ministry.
Under section 69A of the Information Technology Act, the government can block access to information that poses a threat to the sovereignty, security and integrity of India, and spoils friendly relations with other countries or public order, among others.
Pertinently, on Tuesday, Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher criticized the government's stance on the 'Delhi Chalo' march, stating that the March will proceed towards Delhi Tomorrow.
He condemned the use of force, including shelling and bullets on tractors, and demanded accountability for those responsible.
“The intention of the govt was very clear that they would not let us enter Delhi at any cost...If you don't want to find a solution through discussion with farmers then we should be allowed to march towards Delhi...When we moved towards Delhi, shelling happened...Bullets were also used on the tyres of the tractors...DGP Haryana has said that they are not using tear gas on farmers...We demand punishment for those using it then,” he said.
“We will march towards Delhi on Feb 21...The govt has given us a proposal so that we backtrack from our original demands...The govt will be responsible for whatever happens now.” he added.
Moreover, there are reports that the Protesting farmers brought heavy machinery including hydraulic cranes and earth movers to the Shambhu border to remove barricades.
Earlier. Farmer leaders rejected the Government's proposition to procure five crops at Minimum Support Price (MSP) over a five-year period.
Additionally, the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed protesting farmers not to use tractors on highways to reach Delhi, citing the Motor Vehicle Act. They recommend using buses instead and urge Punjab to prevent large gatherings at state borders.