APD | India: Supreme Court to review Internet curbs in Kashmir

By APD writer Rishika Chauhan

**New Delhi, Jan. 11 (APD) ** - India's Supreme Court, on Friday, criticized the security restrictions imposed by the government in Kashmir

Further, the court ordered the government to share all orders on Internet suspension and travel restrictions.

According to a report published in India Today, the government, “Asked for a review of all orders on unlawful assembly, Section 144 and Internet suspension within seven days, followed by weekly periodic reviews.”

Security restrictions have been imposed on Kashmir since August 2019, when the special status of the former province was repelled.

Then, it was also bifurcated into two Union Territories, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, effective on October 31.

Internet ban in Kashmir has also become an issue of concern for authorities, as the ban has become the longest in a democracy.

Further, the Supreme Court said that Section 144 imposed by the government in Kashmir, could amount to an abuse of power, especially its repetitive use.

The court further explained, that legitimate expression, was being quashed in Kashmir. Moreover, the right to access the Internet was a fundamental right under Article 19(1)(a) of the Indian Constitution, and “total shutdowns are drastic measures that should be considered only when absolutely necessary."

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)