Published 20:55 IST, December 25th 2020
J&K extends high-speed mobile internet ban till Jan 8: 'Elements angered by poll success'
Jammu-Kashmir administration once again extended the ban on high-speed mobile internet on Friday across the Union territory till 8 January 2021, after DDC polls
Continuing to keep Kashmir under 'slow internet', the Jammu-Kashmir administration once again extended the ban on high-speed mobile internet on Friday across the Union territory till 8 January 2021. The administration justified the ban stating that the successful conduct of the Panchayat elections has 'not gone down well with elements against peace'. High-speed mobile internet will continue to remain functional only in Ganderbal and Udhampur districts, post-paid services, and verified pre-paid services.
J&K: No high-speed mobile internet till Jan 8
Gupkar alliance wins maximum seats
The results for the J&K DDC elections were announced on Wednesday - with the PAGD winning 110 seats. Its constituents- NC, PDP, JKPC, CPI(M) and JKPM bagged 67, 27, 8, 5, and three seats respectively. After winning 26 seats in the DDC election, Congress too has decided to support the opposition alliance. On the other hand, BJP too made inroads in the Union Territory by becoming the single-largest party with 75 seats. However, the newly formed Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) could not make a substantive impact gaining only 12 seats. Independents too made a major dent with 50 seats. The J&K administration held J&K's first-ever District Development Council polls in eight phases from November 28 to December 19, with a voter turnout of 51.42%.
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.
Updated 20:55 IST, December 25th 2020