J&K govt extends high-speed mobile internet ban till Dec 11 amid 'intense poll campaign'

Citing the upcoming DDC polls again, the Jammu-Kashmir administration on Thursday, restricted internet in the valley till 2G speed till 11 December. Maintaining that as 'intense political activity' has been witnessed for upcoming polls with campaigning, the state government states there has been a surge in terrorist activities in Ban Toll plaza, Nagrota, Jammu and Parimpora, Srinagar. High-speed mobile internet will continue to remain functional only in Ganderbal and Udhampur districts, post-paid services, and verified pre-paid services.

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J&K: No high-speed mobile internet till Dec 11

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DDC polls & controversy

The J&K administration announced J&K's first-ever District Development Council polls in eight phases from November 28 to December 19, with the counting of votes scheduled for December 22. The People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), an amalgam of seven political parties in Jammu and Kashmir seeking restoration of the erstwhile state's special status, has alleged that the coalition's poll candidates are being whisked away to 'secure locations' and confined to them, amid security concern. The coalition has alleged that while its candidates were not being allowed to campaign freely, BJP was allowed to do so. Around 250 companies or 25,000 central paramilitary personnel have been sent by the Centre for providing security cover to polls.

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Current internet scenario in Kashmir

Restrictions have been put on communication links since August 5 in Jammu and Kashmir, these were subsequently eased, after Supreme Court upheld that the continued ban on the internet was a 'violation of freedom of expression'. Since the revocation, state-run internet provider BSNL has restored internet services throughout the Kashmir valley, but with a speed of 2G with special instructions. The temporary ban on social media sites was removed in March, however, complaints of inaccessibility persisted.

Consequently, the administration has reviewed the scenario on a monthly basis but has repeatedly extended the ban on high-speed internet. In May, the Supreme Court had refused to pass orders to restore 4G internet services in Jammu and Kashmir and instead directed the Centre to form a special committee to examine the petitioners’ demands. Recently, the Valley has seen heightened terror activities with several BJP Sarpanchs/leaders being attacked, resulting in mass resignations.

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