Internet services in the State were restored on Monday, three days after the government ordered suspension of data services fearing trouble during Eid-ul-Azha.
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Sharma accused the PDP-BJP coalition of taking the state back to the 16th century by imposing a “blanket ban” on all kinds of internet services in Jammu as well as in Kashmir. A few of the users uploaded videos and photographs of cows and other bovine animals being publicly slaughtered at places in the predominantly Muslim Kashmir Valley during a separatist-called shutdown against the court order and such pastime hurt religious sentiments of Hindus and, in fact, added to already existing tensions over the issue within and outside the state.
“Oh the irony of listening to Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi lecturing about connected digital India while in J&K spent 3 days totally disconnected due to his party & allies”, Abdullah wrote on the social media site. “The PDP-BJP regime is pushing the people of the state to the wall”. However, the police has warned that “misuse” of data services and messaging services like WhatsApp and SMS (to stoke communal tension in the state) would invite legal action. However, since the ban was restricted to only Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley, it evoked resentment against the government.
While landline broadband services in the state resumed at 8 pm yesterday, mobile data services were restored at 10 am today.
The ban also hit businesses severely. The gag was condemned by traders’ associations.
“The separatists were barred from offering prayers, internet was banned”.
Showkat Chowdhary, chairman of the Kashmir Economic Alliance, termed the move “atrocious” and said it bruised the state’s image.
He said, the ban on internet services-which included broadband for the first time-had a massive impact on overall business and tourism sector in Kashmir.
The measure was taken because of apprehension of communal tension in the backdrop of the High Court directive for implementation of an old law that bans slaughter and selling of beef. “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.
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Besides prohibit online, monitor also has threaten of caused below the different options of Unlawful Activities (Prev) Act 1967, the Information Technology Act and Ranbir Penal Code resistant to the individual for discussing or posting “malicious rumours” by having an thought to ignite public anxiety within the area.
