The Evening Wrap: Internet suspension extended in parts of Punjab till February 24

The suspension of Internet services has been extended in certain areas of some Punjab districts, including Patiala, Sangrur and Fatehgarh Sahib, till February 24 on the orders of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. Earlier, the Internet services were suspended from February 12 till 16 in view of the farmers’ ‘Delhi Chalo’ march. According to the Ministry’s February 16 order, Internet services will remain suspended in areas falling under Shambhu, Julkan, Passian, Patran, Shatrana, Samana, Ghanaur, Devigarh and Balbhera police stations in Patiala; Lalru police station in Mohali; Sangat police station in Bathinda; Killianwali police station in Muktsar; Sardulgarh and Boha police stations in Mansa; and Khanauri, Moonak, Lehra, Sunam and Chajli police stations in Sangrur; and areas under Fatehgarh Sahib police station. The Centre used its special powers under the Telegraph Act of 1885 to suspend Internet services in these areas of Punjab. The Haryana government has suspended mobile Internet services and bulk SMS in Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad and Sirsa districts. Meanwhile, the panel of Union Ministers holding talks with protesting farmers reached Chandigarh on February 18 evening for a fourth round of dialogue with farmer leaders over their demands, including a legal guarantee for minimum support prices. The meeting between the Ministers and the farmer leaders will be held at the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration in Sector 26. The two sides had met earlier on February 8, 12 and 15 but the talks remained inconclusive. Prominent among the farmer leaders who will attend the meeting are Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher, who are spearheading the agitation. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha will gherao the residences of BJP leaders in Punjab for three days from February 20 to press the Centre into accepting the farmers’ demands, a leader of the outfit has said. Balbir Singh Rajewal, a leader of the SKM said they will stage protests in front of the residences of Punjab BJP leaders, including MPs, MLAs and district presidents. Interacting with reporters after a meeting of SKM leaders in Ludhiana, Rajewal said it has also been decided that they would protest at all toll barriers in the State and make them free for all commuters from February 20 to 22. The SKM will not accept anything less than the C-2 plus 50 per cent formula for MSP as recommended in the Swaminathan Commission report, he said after the meeting which was also attended by farmer leaders Balkaran Singh Brar and Boota Singh, among others. Rajewal said the SKM will hold a high-level meeting on February 22 in Delhi to chalk out future strategy on the demands put up earlier before the Centre during their agitation in 2021 against the now-repealed farm laws. Haryana DGP denies using pellet guns against protesting farmers Haryana Director General of Police Shatrujeet Kapur on February 18 said the police were using “minimum force” and denied the usage of pellet guns against farmers who have been blocked at two locations — Khanuari and Shambhu Barrier — along the Punjab-Haryana border since February 13. Farm leaders have alleged that several persons were injured by pellet guns and some may lose their vision as metal shrapnel pierced their eyes. In the past, pellet guns were used in Jammu and Kashmir during the 2016 unrest, leaving several people partially or fully blind. Last year they were used in Manipur, leading to a huge outrage. DGP Kapur told The Hindu that a standard operating procedure was being followed by the police to deter the protesters and the aim was not to injure the people. He said the mob was raising “anti-India slogans and indulged in extreme provocative actions.” When asked specifically if pellet guns were used against protesters, Kapur said, “No, the SOP being followed by the police is to first use tear gas, then water cannons, cane charge and lastly rubber bullets are fired from a distance of 50-60 yards. The rubber bullets are not aimed directly at the mob, they are pointed to the ground which ricochet and then hit the target. We do not want to injure the people.” When told that there were several videos and photographs showing metal shrapnel lodged in the bodies of protesters, the DGP said, “I have not come across photographs or reports in newspapers of pellet gun injuries. Our response is limited to rubber bullets. This is a different kind of atmosphere. They are hurling anti-India slogans. There are many disturbing images and videos. They [mob] are taking extreme provocative actions.” Kapur said the Rapid Action Force, the anti-riot Central Armed Police Force, was assisting the State police in handling the protesters at the two locations. Around 65 companies of Central police forces have been deployed in Haryana. Amrik Singh, a farm union member said, “Around 200 people have received serious injuries, including by pellet guns. Some are still admitted to hospitals in Chandigarh and Patiala.” He said that for the first two days, the police were firing tear gas from drones, which had stopped for now. “They are firing at us as if we are terrorists or belong to an enemy country. No anti-India sloganeering is being done here. We simply want to march to Delhi to press the Union government to fulfil the commitments they made during the 2021 agitation,” Singh said. Supreme Court to hear Sharad Pawar’s plea against EC order recognising Ajit Pawar-led faction as real NCP The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on February 19 a plea of Sharad Pawar challenging an Election Commission order recognising the Ajit Pawar-led faction as the real Nationalist Congress Party. A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta and KV Viswanathan is likely to hear Sharad Pawar’s plea. On February 16, the Supreme Court had agreed to urgently list the plea after Sharad Pawar stated that a whip may be issued by the faction led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. The veteran leader had sought an urgent hearing of his plea in the wake of twin blows suffered by the group led by him and the consequential fear of facing action for possible violations of whip by his MLAs. Sharad Pawar had sought urgent hearing in view of the February 15 order of Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar. Narwekar held that the NCP faction led by Ajit Pawar was the real NCP and that the anti-defection provisions in the Constitution cannot be used to stifle internal dissent. Prior to this, the poll panel announced on February 6 that the Ajit Pawar faction is the real NCP and also allotted the party’s ‘clock’ symbol to the group. The special Maharashtra Assembly session will commence on February 20. The Ajit Pawar faction had filed a caveat in the Supreme Court to ensure that no ex-parte order is passed in favour of the Sharad Pawar group if the latter moves the top court. Ram temple construction heralds establishment of ‘Ram Rajya’ for next 1,000 years: BJP resolution The BJP’s national convention passed a resolution on the Ram temple in Ayodhya on February 18, asserting that this heralds the establishment of ‘Ram Rajya’ in India for the next 1,000 years. The resolution noted that the temple where a grand consecration ceremony took place last month, has become a temple of “national consciousness” and will play a decisive role in fulfilling the resolutions adopted in building a “Viksit Bharat”. “This convention of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) heartily congratulates the leadership of the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) for successfully conducting the consecration of Lord Ram,” it added. The resolution said that Lord Ram, Sita and the Ramayana are present in every aspect of Indian civilisation and culture. “Even in the original copy of the Constitution of India, on the section of fundamental rights, the picture of Lord Shri Ram, Mother Sita and Lakshman ji after returning to Ayodhya after the victory is a proof of the fact that Lord Shri Ram is the source of inspiration for the fundamental rights,” it said. The resolution said that “the idea of ‘Ram Rajya’ was also in the heart of Bapu Mahatma Gandhi”. The values that Lord Ram instilled in his words and thoughts are the inspiration for ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas,’ and the basis of ‘Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas’, the resolution said. Double engine government means ‘double blow’ to unemployed: Rahul Gandhi slams BJP Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on February 18 attacked the BJP over the issue of unemployment in Uttar Pradesh, saying double engine government means “double blow” to the unemployed. In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi claimed that every third youth of Uttar Pradesh is suffering from the “disease of unemployment”. “Where more than 1.5 lakh government posts are vacant, graduates, postgraduates and PhD holders are standing in line even for the posts that require minimum qualification,” he said. “Double engine government means double blow to the unemployed!” he said. “First of all, the coming out of recruitment possibilities is a dream and even if the recruitment is being done then the paper gets leaked, if the paper happens then the result is not known and even when the result comes after a long wait, one often has to go to the court for ensuring joining,” he said. Lakhs of students have become overage after waiting for years for recruitments from the Army to Railways and from education to police, he said. A student trapped in this maze of despair is falling victim to depression and breaking down, Gandhi said. “And being distressed by all this, when he comes out on the streets with his demands, he gets batons from the police,” he claimed. For a student, a job is not just a source of income but also a dream to change the life of his family and with the breaking of this dream, the hopes of the entire family are shattered, Mr. Gandhi said. “The policies of Congress will do justice to the dreams of the youth, we will not let their penance go in vain,” he said. IND vs ENG 3rd Test, Day 4 | India hammer England by 434 runs in third Test India beat England by a whopping 434 runs in the third Test to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series in Rajkot on February 18. This was India’s biggest Test win in terms of runs, surpassing the 372-run victory over New Zealand in 2021. Set an improbable victory target of 557, England collapsed to 122 all out in 39.4 overs on day four. Ravindra Jadeja was the pick of the bowlers for India, taking five wickets for 41 runs in 12.4 overs. It was easily England’s worst batting effort of the series with no batter able to cross the 20-run mark barring number 10 Mark Wood (33). On the same pitch, India amassed 445 and 430 for four declared in their two innings respectively. The massive win was set up by Yashasvi Jaiswal, who remained unbeaten on 214 in India’s second innings. The other centurions of the game were Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja. Sarfaraz Khan scored back-to-back fifties on his debut. In brief Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren has given the go-ahead for a caste-based survey in the State on the lines of neighbouring Bihar, a senior official said on February 18. The CM has directed the personnel department to prepare a draft (SoP for conducting the survey) and place it before the Cabinet for approval, he said. If everything goes according to the plan, the exercise will begin after the Lok Sabha elections, the official said. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. [logo] The Evening Wrap 18 February 2024 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [[Arrow]Open in browser]( [[Mail icon]More newsletters]( Farmers’ protest | Internet suspension extended in parts of Punjab till February 24 The [suspension of Internet services has been extended in certain areas of some Punjab districts]( including Patiala, Sangrur and Fatehgarh Sahib, till February 24 on the orders of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. Earlier, the Internet services were suspended from February 12 till 16 in view of the [farmers’ ‘Delhi Chalo’ march](. According to the Ministry’s February 16 order, Internet services will remain suspended in areas falling under Shambhu, Julkan, Passian, Patran, Shatrana, Samana, Ghanaur, Devigarh and Balbhera police stations in Patiala; Lalru police station in Mohali; Sangat police station in Bathinda; Killianwali police station in Muktsar; Sardulgarh and Boha police stations in Mansa; and Khanauri, Moonak, Lehra, Sunam and Chajli police stations in Sangrur; and areas under Fatehgarh Sahib police station. The Centre used its special powers under the Telegraph Act of 1885 to suspend Internet services in these areas of Punjab. The Haryana government has suspended mobile Internet services and bulk SMS in Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad and Sirsa districts. Meanwhile, the panel of Union Ministers holding talks with protesting farmers reached Chandigarh on February 18 evening for a fourth round of dialogue with farmer leaders over their demands, including a legal guarantee for minimum support prices. The meeting between the Ministers and the farmer leaders will be held at the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration in Sector 26. The two sides had met earlier on February 8, 12 and 15 but the talks remained inconclusive. Prominent among the farmer leaders who will attend the meeting are Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher, who are spearheading the agitation. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha will gherao the residences of BJP leaders in Punjab for three days from February 20 to press the Centre into accepting the farmers’ demands, a leader of the outfit has said. Balbir Singh Rajewal, a leader of the SKM said they will stage protests in front of the residences of Punjab BJP leaders, including MPs, MLAs and district presidents. Interacting with reporters after a meeting of SKM leaders in Ludhiana, Rajewal said it has also been decided that they would protest at all toll barriers in the State and make them free for all commuters from February 20 to 22. The SKM will not accept anything less than the C-2 plus 50 per cent formula for MSP as recommended in the Swaminathan Commission report, he said after the meeting which was also attended by farmer leaders Balkaran Singh Brar and Boota Singh, among others. Rajewal said the SKM will hold a high-level meeting on February 22 in Delhi to chalk out future strategy on the demands put up earlier before the Centre during their agitation in 2021 against the now-repealed farm laws. Haryana DGP denies using pellet guns against protesting farmers [Haryana Director General of Police Shatrujeet Kapur on February 18 said the police were using “minimum force” and denied the usage of pellet guns against farmers]( who have been blocked at two locations — Khanuari and Shambhu Barrier — along the Punjab-Haryana border since February 13. Farm leaders have alleged that several persons were injured by pellet guns and some may lose their vision as metal shrapnel pierced their eyes. In the past, pellet guns were used in Jammu and Kashmir during the 2016 unrest, leaving several people partially or fully blind. Last year they were used in Manipur, leading to a huge outrage. DGP Kapur told The Hindu that a standard operating procedure was being followed by the police to deter the protesters and the aim was not to injure the people. He said the mob was raising “anti-India slogans and indulged in extreme provocative actions.” When asked specifically if pellet guns were used against protesters, Kapur said, “No, the SOP being followed by the police is to first use tear gas, then water cannons, cane charge and lastly rubber bullets are fired from a distance of 50-60 yards. The rubber bullets are not aimed directly at the mob, they are pointed to the ground which ricochet and then hit the target. We do not want to injure the people.” When told that there were several videos and photographs showing metal shrapnel lodged in the bodies of protesters, the DGP said, “I have not come across photographs or reports in newspapers of pellet gun injuries. Our response is limited to rubber bullets. This is a different kind of atmosphere. They are hurling anti-India slogans. There are many disturbing images and videos. They [mob] are taking extreme provocative actions.” Kapur said the Rapid Action Force, the anti-riot Central Armed Police Force, was assisting the State police in handling the protesters at the two locations. Around 65 companies of Central police forces have been deployed in Haryana. Amrik Singh, a farm union member said, “Around 200 people have received serious injuries, including by pellet guns. Some are still admitted to hospitals in Chandigarh and Patiala.” He said that for the first two days, the police were firing tear gas from drones, which had stopped for now. “They are firing at us as if we are terrorists or belong to an enemy country. No anti-India sloganeering is being done here. We simply want to march to Delhi to press the Union government to fulfil the commitments they made during the 2021 agitation,” Singh said. Supreme Court to hear Sharad Pawar’s plea against EC order recognising Ajit Pawar-led faction as real NCP The [Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on February 19 a plea of Sharad Pawar challenging an Election Commission order recognising the Ajit Pawar-led faction as the real Nationalist Congress Party](. A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta and KV Viswanathan is likely to hear Sharad Pawar’s plea. On February 16, the Supreme Court had agreed to urgently list the plea after Sharad Pawar stated that a whip may be issued by the faction led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. The veteran leader had sought an urgent hearing of his plea in the wake of twin blows suffered by the group led by him and the consequential fear of facing action for possible violations of whip by his MLAs. Sharad Pawar had sought urgent hearing in view of the February 15 order of Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar. Narwekar held that the NCP faction led by Ajit Pawar was the real NCP and that the anti-defection provisions in the Constitution cannot be used to stifle internal dissent. Prior to this, the poll panel announced on February 6 that the Ajit Pawar faction is the real NCP and also allotted the party’s ‘clock’ symbol to the group. The special Maharashtra Assembly session will commence on February 20. The Ajit Pawar faction had filed a caveat in the Supreme Court to ensure that no ex-parte order is passed in favour of the Sharad Pawar group if the latter moves the top court. Ram temple construction heralds establishment of ‘Ram Rajya’ for next 1,000 years: BJP resolution The [BJP’s national convention passed a resolution on the Ram temple in Ayodhya]( on February 18, asserting that this heralds the establishment of ‘Ram Rajya’ in India for the next 1,000 years. The resolution noted that the temple where a grand consecration ceremony took place last month, has become a temple of “national consciousness” and will play a decisive role in fulfilling the resolutions adopted in building a “Viksit Bharat”. “This convention of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) heartily congratulates the leadership of the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) for successfully conducting the consecration of Lord Ram,” it added. The resolution said that Lord Ram, Sita and the Ramayana are present in every aspect of Indian civilisation and culture. “Even in the original copy of the Constitution of India, on the section of fundamental rights, the picture of Lord Shri Ram, Mother Sita and Lakshman ji after returning to Ayodhya after the victory is a proof of the fact that Lord Shri Ram is the source of inspiration for the fundamental rights,” it said. The resolution said that “the idea of ‘Ram Rajya’ was also in the heart of Bapu Mahatma Gandhi”. The values that Lord Ram instilled in his words and thoughts are the inspiration for ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas,’ and the basis of ‘Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas’, the resolution said. Double engine government means ‘double blow’ to unemployed: Rahul Gandhi slams BJP Congress leader [Rahul Gandhi on February 18 attacked the BJP over the issue of unemployment in Uttar Pradesh]( saying double engine government means “double blow” to the unemployed. In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi claimed that every third youth of Uttar Pradesh is suffering from the “disease of unemployment”. “Where more than 1.5 lakh government posts are vacant, graduates, postgraduates and PhD holders are standing in line even for the posts that require minimum qualification,” he said. “Double engine government means double blow to the unemployed!” he said. “First of all, the coming out of recruitment possibilities is a dream and even if the recruitment is being done then the paper gets leaked, if the paper happens then the result is not known and even when the result comes after a long wait, one often has to go to the court for ensuring joining,” he said. Lakhs of students have become overage after waiting for years for recruitments from the Army to Railways and from education to police, he said. A student trapped in this maze of despair is falling victim to depression and breaking down, Gandhi said. “And being distressed by all this, when he comes out on the streets with his demands, he gets batons from the police,” he claimed. For a student, a job is not just a source of income but also a dream to change the life of his family and with the breaking of this dream, the hopes of the entire family are shattered, Mr. Gandhi said. “The policies of Congress will do justice to the dreams of the youth, we will not let their penance go in vain,” he said. IND vs ENG 3rd Test, Day 4 | India hammer England by 434 runs in third Test [India beat England by a whopping 434 runs in the third Test to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series in Rajkot on February 18.]( This was India’s biggest Test win in terms of runs, surpassing the 372-run victory over New Zealand in 2021. Set an improbable victory target of 557, England collapsed to 122 all out in 39.4 overs on day four. Ravindra Jadeja was the pick of the bowlers for India, taking five wickets for 41 runs in 12.4 overs. It was easily England’s worst batting effort of the series with no batter able to cross the 20-run mark barring number 10 Mark Wood (33). On the same pitch, India amassed 445 and 430 for four declared in their two innings respectively. The massive win was set up by Yashasvi Jaiswal, who remained unbeaten on 214 in India’s second innings. The other centurions of the game were Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja. Sarfaraz Khan scored back-to-back fifties on his debut. In brief Jharkhand Chief Minister [Champai Soren has given the go-ahead for a caste-based survey]( in the State on the lines of neighbouring Bihar, a senior official said on February 18. The CM has directed the personnel department to prepare a draft (SoP for conducting the survey) and place it before the Cabinet for approval, he said. If everything goes according to the plan, the exercise will begin after the Lok Sabha elections, the official said. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. [Sign up for free]( Today’s Top Picks [[Saleem Shervani quits as SP national general secretary, alleges neglect of Muslims in party] Saleem Shervani quits as SP national general secretary, alleges neglect of Muslims in party]( [[Watch | NDA vs INDIA | Where alliances stand ahead of polls] Watch | NDA vs INDIA | Where alliances stand ahead of polls]( [[SC strikes down electoral bonds scheme, EFTA trade agreement raises concerns, and more | The week in 5 charts] SC strikes down electoral bonds scheme, EFTA trade agreement raises concerns, and more | The week in 5 charts]( [[Maha Open | Sumit Nagal keeps Indian tennis shining] Maha Open | Sumit Nagal keeps Indian tennis shining]( Copyright© 2024, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. 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