Manipur Government Imposes Internet Ban Amid Fresh Violence

The Manipur government has imposed an internet ban starting Tuesday to combat disinformation amid recent violence. The ban will last until September 15. Inspector General of Police IK Muviah announced that evidence related to a drone bombing will be handed over to national investigative agencies for further examination.

The Manipur government has imposed a ban on internet services across the state starting Tuesday, following fresh outbreaks of violence. The ban aims to curb the spread of disinformation and false rumors via social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

According to the state government's orders, the internet blackout will remain in effect until September 15. The official notice stated, 'In exercise of the powers conferred under Rule 2 of Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules, 2017, a temporary suspension of internet and mobile data services has been ordered to prevent serious disturbances to public order and peaceful coexistence.'

The notice emphasized that there is an imminent danger of loss of life, damage to property, and disruption of public tranquility due to the spread of inflammatory material and false rumors via social media and other messaging services. In related news, Inspector General of Police for Operations, IK Muviah, disclosed that evidence from a recent drone bombing incident will be handed over to national investigative agencies for further examination. 'We have recovered all the bomb fragments and sent them to the forensic lab for analysis,' Muviah said.