The Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) on Monday called for a ''Jammu bandh'' on December 7 to protest suspension of mobile Internet services following abrogation of Article 370 provisions and against setting up of toll plaza at Sarore on the Jammu-Pathankot highway.

"We appeal to the people to participate in the peace ful bandh on December 7 against the authoritarian moves of the government,"JKNPP chairman and former minister Harsh Dev Singh said. Mobile Internet services were snapped across Jammu region on August 4, a day ahead of the abrogation of Article 370 provisions and division of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories which came into existence on October 31.However, fixed-line Internet services, especially broadband, functioned uninterrupted in the Jammu region where the situation remained by and large peaceful post the August 5-decisions of the Centre. Low-speed service was briefly restored in five ofthe 10 districts of Jammu region on August 16-17 night but suspended again onAugust 18 morning with authorities citing "technical problem" as thereason and had assured that the services would be restored soon.

Singh accused the government of "ruthlesslysuppressing" the genuine aspirations of the "nationalist" peopleof Jammu region and said, "It was an insult to the people of Jammu whowere subjected to Internet gag and communication blockade."

"Students preparing for general and competitive examswere the worst sufferers with unemployed educated youth also facinginsurmountable problems in the absence of Internet services. Traders have beenhit hard... sustaining losses worth several hundreds of crores of rupees,"he said.

Referring to newly set up toll plaza at Sarore in Sambadistrict, the JKNPP chairman alleged that the city of temples was beingconverted into "city of toll plazas".