Regional shutdown
Mobile Internet
Jammu and Kashmir
There are unconfirmed reports that local authorities have ordered the suspension of mobile Internet services in Assam's Chirang and Kokrajhar districts due to violence in Runikhat.
- Total Duration 3 days, 19 hours
India
- Population
- 1,450,935,791
Freedom House rates Internet freedom as Partly Free
Local impact
According to an official notification issued by Additional Chief Secretary Ajay Tewari (published by India Today), the decision was taken after reports of unrest in Chirang district. "The notification cited the risk of misinformation and inflammatory content being circulated through social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, X, YouTube, and Instagram, which could further aggravate the situation."
Mohan Lal Meena, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Chirang, was quoted on Saturday, 18 April, saying, “We will first complete an evaluation, and when the law and order situation is completely normal, we will inform the competent authorities for internet restoration.”
The Sentinel reported that Internet services remained suspended on 21 April.
This was the second time in 2026 that these districts faced such a shutdown; a similar two-day suspension occurred on 20-22 January, following communal clashes after a road accident.
Related documentation
No official acknowledgment of the suspension has been made public but a notification shared with the media states that the state government invoked provisions under Section 5(2) of the Indian Telegraph Act 1885, along with the Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Saftey) Rules, 2017 to enforce the suspension of mobile Internet services.
Other supporting information
It’s difficult to measure the effects of local/regional Internet shutdowns, as most measurements are conducted at the country level. Learn more.