The move is aimed at denying terrorists space to upload and circulate videos on social media to romanticise militancy and recruit people for jihadi activities
Jammu and Kashmir government on Wednesday banned 22 social networking sites and applications including Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter in Kashmir on the ground that these were being misused by anti-national and anti-social elements to fan trouble. The internet Service Providers (ISPs) have been asked to stop transmission of these sites with immediate effect for a period of one month or till further orders.
The move is aimed at denying terrorists space to upload and circulate videos on social media to romanticise militancy and recruit people for jihadi activities.
The ban on social media comes a week after the government suspended the 3G and 4G internet mobile services because security agencies felt that social media and WhatsApp groups were being used to whip up tension and mobilise people for stone pelting. However, slow 2G mobile internet services and broadband services on the fixed lines are operational.
Principal Secretary of State Home department RK Goyal invoked Indian Telegraph Act 1885 read with the Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules, 2007 to ban the social media sites in Kashmir.
The social networking sites banned include Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, QQ, We Chat, Qzone, Tumbir, Google+, Baidu, Skype, Viber, Line, Snapchat, Pinterest, Telegram, Reddit, Snapfish, You Tube (upload), Vine, Xanga, Buzznet and Flickr.
The order stated that as per available inputs, over a period of time, a progressively increasing trend has been witnessed with regard to misuse of social media, like Facebook, Twitter etc by the elements inimical to public order and tranquility, thereby impinging on public safety, particularly in the Kashmir Valley.
"It has been observed that such elements are transmitting objectionable contents to spread disaffection amongst public against the state administration and the security forces, with a view to incite them to commit various offences on a large-scale and cause damage to life and property and disturb peace and tranquility," he said.
This will for the first time when entire social media has been banned in Kashmir valley. There have been intermediate shutting down of internet but never was social media banned in Kashmir.
"The continued blockade of internet will seriously affect our businesses and especially youth-oriented new start-ups in the e-commerce sector that depend primarily on internet accessibility and penetration. This will in turn lead to an increase in unemployment as the private sector, especially the tourism sector will be severely hit. Using such measures to suppress dissent is a futile exercise," said Farooq Abdullah, NC president.
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