The Manipur government on Thursday extended the mobile Internet ban for another five days till October 31, an official said.The move came after Chief Minister N. Biren Singh last week had indicated that the government would consider withdrawing the ban within the next few days.
Singh while addressing a government function last week has sought patience from the citizens, particularly the students and youth on the issue. After the last month students' agitation, the Manipur government had on September 26, two days after the ban was lifted after 143 days, had suspended mobile Internet data services, internet/data services and after each five days the ban had been extended.
A Home Department notification on Thursday said that the ban was extended following "apprehensions that some anti-social elements might use social media extensively for transmission of images, hate speech and hate videos inciting the passions of the public which might have serious repercussions on the law and order situation".
The Director General of Police (DGP) on October 25 had "reported that there are still reports of incidents of violence like confrontation of the public with security forces, attempts to mob elected members residences and civil protests in front of police stations".
"To thwart the designs and activities of anti-nationals and anti-socials and to maintain peace and communal harmony and to prevent any loss of life, it has become necessary to take adequate measures to maintain law and order in public interest by stopping the spread of disinformation and rumours through social media platforms," the notification said.
Mobile Internet was banned in the state after the ethnic violence broke out on May 3. Though it was restored on September 23, it had to be banned again on September 26 after students clashed with security forces following images of the bodies of two young missing students including a girl circulated in the social media.