Internet services restored after 3 days

On Eid, the Jammu and Kashmir Police had said that it was apprehensive that people may offer cow sacrifice and upload the live videos again and could vitiate the situation. However, since the ban was restricted to only Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley, it evoked resentment against the government.

Sharma accused the BJP of stabbing the people of Jammu region in the back, who had given the mandate to the party to join the government in the state.

In occupied Kashmir, a group of traders has termed the decision to ban internet as part of PDP-BJP regime’s agenda of destruction. Trucks carrying goods to the state remained stranded at Lakhanpur Toll Plaza (between Punjab and J&K) for want of online bills which are mandatory for importing stocks from outside the state. “I could not see them because of the ban, which drove divided families like ours to the Stone Age”, said Sheikh Hilal, whose son and grandchildren live in Dubai.

“He had promised to make the state like Gujarat“.

The President of Urban Tour and Travel Association, Jan Muhammad said that his business was badly hit by the internet ban.

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi took his “Digital India” initiative to the Silicon Valley with much fanfare, netizens used the occasion to mock at his government for curtailing internet services in Kashmir Valley on Eid. The Congress, while criticising the move, said the state government put students, examination aspirants, tourists and trade community to great inconvenience.

Meanwhile, police has warned mischievous elements of legal action against misuse of the services like SMS and WhatsApp to stoke communal tension.Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah took a jibe at the PDP, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the ban. A week later, the HC’s Srinagar bench issued notice to the state on a PIL which sought striking down of the provision of RPC banning slaughter of bovine animals.

With the first ban coming into effect, the state government ordered termination of data services from 5 am on Friday to 10 pm on Saturday, which was later extended till 2 pm. “The aim was to ensure peace during the Id festival”, said IGP Gilani.

“Misuse of mobile phone SMS and Internet messaging service to spread malicious rumours with an intention to stoke communal tension and violent activity constitutes commission of offences under the various provisions of Unlawful Activities (Prev) Act 1967, the Information Technology Act and Ranbir Penal Code”, police spokesperson said.