J&K govt bans 22 social media sites

Srinagar: The J&K government has imposed a blanket ban on 22 social media sites — including Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp — in Kashmir for one month. Internet service providers have been told to stop transmission in Kashmir with immediate effect.

The Jammu and Kashmir government has imposed a blanket ban on 22 social media sites including Facebook, Twitter.com and WhatsApp in restive Kashmir Valley for a period of one month or till further orders.

The state’s home department has issued an order asking the Internet service providers (ISPs) to stop transmission of these networking sites in Kashmir with immediate effect. Earlier reports had said that the department has issued an order banning the Internet services in the Valley for a period of one month but the authorities denied it.

An official statement issued in winter capital Jammu said that the social media and other sites have been banned in the Valley “in the interest of maintenance of public order” and that the order to this effect was issued by the government in exercise of powers conferred by sub-section (2) of Section-5 of the Indian Telegraph Act 1885 read with the Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules, 2007.

The order signed by the principal secretary to the government (home department) states that any violation of the order shall be dealt with in accordance with the relevant provisions of law.