"With shutdowns in major cities to silence protests, India tries to black out democracy," 19 Dec 2019

The #KeepItOn coalition has received numerous reports of an internet shutdown, with the suspension of broadband and mobile data as well as voice calling services, in numerous neighborhoods in Delhi, India. These reports have been corroborated by two telecom service providers in Delhi, namely Vodafone India and Airtel, and residents who are currently experiencing difficulty accessing the internet. Reports indicate that the Special Branch of the Delhi Police — controlled directly by the Government of India’s Ministry of Home Affairs —  ordered service providers via a letter to suspend internet connections.

...The current rights-harming, inherently disproportionate shutdown comes at a time when Indians have taken to the streets of Delhi to protest the Citizenship Amendment Act, legislation controversial for its alleged religious discrimination that was pushed through the Indian parliament on the urging of the Union Government... Over the last week, Indians have exercised their fundamental rights to express an opinion and peacefully protest, which is protected under the Indian Constitution and international human rights law, whether online or off. The government must respect and safeguard these rights, and must therefore keep the internet on across India.