Updated
Updated · The Hindu · Jun 8
Jaipur Suspends Internet for 24 Hours, Deploys 3,000 Police for 1.5-km Road-Widening Drive
Updated
Updated · The Hindu · Jun 8

Jaipur Suspends Internet for 24 Hours, Deploys 3,000 Police for 1.5-km Road-Widening Drive

3 articles · Updated · The Hindu · Jun 8

Summary

  • A 24-hour mobile internet shutdown took effect in Jaipur on June 8 as authorities launched an anti-encroachment operation tied to a long-delayed road-widening project in Jagatpura’s Nandpuri underpass area.
  • The Jaipur Development Authority is expanding the 1.5-km stretch from 25-30 feet to 80 feet, using bulldozers and excavators to clear unauthorized structures blocking the corridor.
  • Five religious structures — a mosque, two temples, a satsang hall and a mazaar — are among the demolitions after owners were earlier asked to remove them voluntarily.
  • More than 3,000 police personnel, including 12 Rajasthan Armed Constabulary companies, were deployed citywide as the area was sealed off and traffic barricaded.
  • Section 163 prohibitory orders will stay in force until June 22 midnight, banning rallies and public meetings without permission as police monitor for rumor-mongering and communal tension.

Insights

Was Jaipur's internet ban a necessary safety measure or a tool to suppress dissent against the demolition of religious sites?
Is this road-widening a sign of effective urban planning or a symptom of the flawed strategy behind Jaipur's contested Master Plan?
When development requires demolishing a mosque and temples, how does a city balance progress with protecting its communal fabric?