The Jammu and Kashmir home department has revoked the stringent Public Safety Act against 26 people who are lodged in various jails in the newly-carved out union territory, officials said on Friday, 10 January.
Earlier, the Supreme Court asked the J&K administration to review within a week all orders imposing curbs in the Union Territory, while holding that access to Internet is a fundamental right under Article 19 of the Constitution.
A five-judge bench headed by Justice N V Ramana also asked the J&K administration to restore Internet services in institutions providing essential services like hospitals and educational places.
- Broadband internet services were restored in 80 government hospitals and nursing homes in Kashmir on Thursday, 2 January
- The Supreme Court had also heard petitions filed by Anuradha Bhasin, Executive Editor of Kashmir Times, and few intervenors questioning restrictions in the Valley
- Internet has been shut in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370, on 5 August 2019
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Public Safety Act Against 26 People in J&K Revoked
The Jammu and Kashmir home department has revoked the stringent Public Safety Act against 26 people who are lodged in various jails in the newly-carved out union territory, officials said on Friday, 10 January, according to PTI.
This is seen as an attempt by the union territory administration to ease the situation in the region.
These people were picked up and booked under the PSA after the Centre's decision on 5 August last year to revoke special status of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcate it into two union territories.
'SC Verdict Tells Govt They Can't Shut Down Everything'
Senior lawyer Sanjay Hegde said that the SC judgment is a “balanced one in proportionality.”
“It basically tells the government that under the garb of national security, you cannot shut down everything. The restrictions, if any, should be minimal and proportionate. They should be justifiable by objective standards. Especially, with regard to the freedom of internet. Routine internet shut down will now become subject to challenge.”Sanjay Hegde, Senior Lawyer
Double Shock For Modi-Shah: Cong After SC Verdict on Kashmir Lockdown
The Congress on Friday said the Supreme Court has given a big jolt to the Modi government's "illegal activities" by ruling that access to the internet is a fundamental right and that dissent cannot be oppressed by imposition of prohibitory orders.
"SC delivers first big jolt of 2020 to illegal activities of Modi Govt by stating importance of internet as a fundamental right. Double shock for Modi-Shah that dissent cannot be oppressed by imposing section 144. Modiji reminded that nation bows before Constitution and not him!" Surjewala said in a tweet.