In Rajasthan, the Ashok Gehlot government had shut down the internet again on October 27. The decision was taken to reportedly ‘prevent cheating’ in the RAS exams. Internet services in several districts like Jaipur, Dhaulpur, Sawai Madhopur, Bhilwara, Ajmer, Karauli, Hanumangarh, Nagaur etc remained suspended for several hours.
In capital Jaipur, not just mobile internet, but bulk SMS services, and social media was also suspended.
The mobile internet services were suspended just because the state government is not able to control cheating during entrance exams for jobs.
The Rajasthan government had on October 23 and 24 suspended mobile internet in several districts of the state, including capital Jaipur, from 6 AM in the morning to 6 PM in the evening. The reason was, there was an entrance exam going on for Patwari posts. The state government had apparently decided that cheating in entrance exams for government jobs can be stopped if they suspend mobile internet for whole districts of Dausa, Bikaner and Jaipur.
Before that, the Rajasthan government has shut down internet services, bulk SMS, and social media in the Ajmer district for the REET exam in September.
Many residents of the state have criticised the moves and questioned the logic behind suspending internet services in the age of digital payments and wide internet use where everything from taxi, food order, supply of goods, banking and communication depends on the internet.
Sandeep Singh, a trader by profession had shared a video questioning the Rajasthan government’s arbitrary suspension of internet services. He had also asked if the suspension of the internet is actually preventing incidents of malpractice in the exams.
@ashokgehlot51 what is your obsession to suspend mobile internet every now and then? pic.twitter.com/jvtnhFyhig
— Sandeep Singh (@sandeep_iiml) October 27, 2021
It is notable here that there is rampant cheating in the government job exams in Rajasthan. While on October 24 the government penalised the general public by suspending the internet, 12 people were arrested for leaking the question paper for the Patwari exams. Residents are questioning how can malpractice be stopped by shutting down the internet when the exam papers are being leaked beforehand.
Gehlot and Congress have been criticising 4G services suspension in terrorism-inflicted Jammu and Kashmir
Gehlot and the Congress party in general, have been vociferously protesting when the Union government had suspended 4G internet services in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370.
Gehlot himself had stated, “The people in Jammu and Kashmir have been forced to stay at home for 20 days without mobile internet, the government should not restrict the movement of citizens in this manner.”
Gehlot was also very upset when the government in some North-East states had restricted mobile internet services to prevent mob violence and riots.
Congress prince Rahul Gandhi had stated shutting down the internet is like suppressing India’s voice. He had added that the government suspending the internet is an ‘insult to India’s soul’.
Gehlot tweet in December 2019 was about the suspension of internet services in some other states of India due to the protests against CAA. He was ‘worried’ that Rajasthani people stay in those states and with mobile internet suspended they cannot contact home. He had expressed concerns regarding the safety and well being of those people stating that his government is worried over the suspension of mobile internet services.
