NEW DELHI: After the Supreme Court order to the administration of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) to assess all its restrictive orders on Internet use, opposition and the Left parties hailed the direction calling the order “historic”.
The apex court in its ruling observed that the use of Internet enjoys constitutional protection as a tool, which is under the ambit of freedom of speech and expression and also enables people to carry on with their respective professions.
Senior Congress leader and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad welcomed the Supreme Court’s order saying “everyone was waiting for this decision”.
Speaking to the media here, Azad said: “Everyone in Jammu and Kashmir was waiting for this decision. The Supreme Court has made it clear to this government that they should publish all the orders passed since August 5, 2019. Court has also said that any order on internet comes under judicial review.”
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP), tweeted saying the judgment “reinstates our faith in the judiciary”.
The PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti has been in detention since August.
Welcoming the Supreme Court verdict, National Conference said, “The observations of the apex court about snapping of internet services ma indefinitely are significant and the government must take a call to review and restore the connectivity immediately.”
Hailing the SC’s verdict, the CPI(M) said in a statement. “The Supreme Court has made significant comments on the curbs on civil liberties in Jammu and Kashmir, which belie the false claims of normalcy that the central government has been peddling to the country and the world.”