"Delhi will become the first city in the world to have free WiFi services": Arvind Kejriwal
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched a free WiFi scheme on Thursday and said it was paradoxical that internet services were shut by authorities on this day due to protests against the amended Citizenship Act in the city.
Mr Kejriwal said the people in the country were "scared" as 70 per cent of them have no documents to prove their citizenship.
"It is paradoxical that the day the free WiFi scheme is being launched, police has to shut internet services. I hope the situation will normalise soon and internet services will be resumed," he said at the launch of the scheme at an ITO bus stand.
There was no need of the amended citizenship law and the government needs to focus on providing jobs to the youth, he said.
"I urge the central government with folded hands not to bring this law at this time," he said.
Telecom operators on Thursday suspended internet, voice and messaging services in parts of Delhi-NCR following instructions from the police in the wake of protests against anti-Citizenship Amendment Act.
The chief minister expressed concern that the law and order situation, not only in Delhi, but the entire country was "deteriorating" day by day.
"There is a fear among all the citizen, not just Muslims, that they will have to prove their citizenship and show documents. Seventy per cent people, specially poor, have no document to show and they fear that they will be evicted from the country, he said.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) is not going to achieve anything, he said.
Mr Kejriwal said the Aam Aadmi Party government has fulfilled all promises that it made with the people of Delhi in the 2015 Assembly elections.
"Delhi will become the first city in the world to have free WiFi services," he said.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia also launched the scheme at Kashmiri Gate Metro station. The free Wifii service will be provided through over 11,000 hotspots at bus stands and other places, including markets and residential colonies.
Over 100 hotspots will be inaugurated on Thursday and all the hotspots will be operational in the next six months, Mr Kejriwal said.