Govt has no right to shut internet, metro services to prevent protests: Rahul Gandhi

He said the government has no right to shut colleges and telephones or the metro services and thereby impose Section 144.

"This government has no right to shut down colleges, telephones & the Internet, to halt metro trains and to impose #Section144 to suppress India's voice & prevent peaceful protests.
To do so is an insult to India’s soul," Rahul wrote in his tweet.

Earlier in the day, telecom operators, including Vodafone, Airtel, Reliance Jio suspended services in certain parts of Delhi and NCR, following police orders.

Delhi has been under the grip of fresh Citizen Amendment Act protests since morning.

After agitators gathered at the Red Fort despite the denial of permission by Delhi police for a protest march, the administration closed down 19 metro stations, barricaded entry points on Delhi-Gurugram and Delhi-Noida borders, apart from traffic restrictions in several other parts of the city.

The police denied permission citing law and order situations. Clashes had erupted between police and agitators and several busses were burnt last week during the agitation.

Section 144 CrPC has been imposed in the Red Fort area in Central Delhi to prevent agitators from gathering. However, a large number of agitators reached the spot and were detained by the police.

Shops around Red Fort have been shut. Delhi Police PRO MS Randhawa is at Red Fort where Section 144 is imposed. He appealed to the protesters to hold the protests at designated places only and cooperate with the police.

Gurugram Police has sealed Delhi-Gurugram border has been sealed at NH-48, MG road and Old Delhi-Gurugram. People have been advised to avoid travel to Delhi unless essential.

Long trails of stranded vehicles were seen on Delhi-Gurugram Expressway highway due to police barricading.

Cops have said they are checking every car entering the city, which has slowed traffic movement in the Delhi-Gurugram border.

Mathura Road-Kalindi Kunj route has been closed for traffic movement, police said and asked people coming from Noida to enter Delhi via DND Flyway or the Akshardham road.

Delhi Metro remained out of operations in many places with the authorities shutting down the entry and exit gates of the Jamia Millia Islamia, Jasola Vihar, Shaheen Bagh, Patel Chowk, Lok Kalyan Marg, Udyog Bhawan, ITO, Pragati Maidan, Khan Market, Central Secretariat and Munirka stations, NDTV reported.

Airtel India has suspended voice calling, SMS and internet data services in some parts of Delhi, media reports said.