The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has extended the suspension of internet services at the farmer protest sites in Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri borders till Tuesday night, officials said.

Apart from the three border points, where farmers have been protesting since November against the Centre's three new farm laws, internet services will remain suspended in their adjoining areas too. The suspension is effective from 11 pm of January 31 to 11 pm on February 2.

The decision has been taken to 'maintain public safety and averting public emergency' under Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules 2017, a Home ministry official said.

The suspension of internet services at the three border points and their adjoining areas was imposed at 11 pm on January 29 and was initially effective till 11 pm on January 31.

The Union home ministry invoked the Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules 2017 in the Indian Telegraph Act to shut down the Internet in these areas where tens of thousands of men, women and children have been agitating peacefully since November-end for the repeal of three new farm laws.

The clampdown came after the protesting farmers succeeded in turning the narrative built against them, through television media in particular, since the chaos during the Republic Day tractor rally.

Flow of information out of the protest sites had helped mobilise farmers over the past few days, with visuals of the crackdown at Ghazipur on Thursday night shared over social media turning the tide against the government.

Internet services were also temporary suspended in some parts of Delhi on January 26, when large scale violence was reported during the farmers' tractor rally.