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‘Double shock, reminder’: Congress tweets after Supreme Court’s Kashmir verdict
Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nahi Azad, who was one of the petitioners, said every resident of Jammu and Kashmir had been waiting for this decision, referring to the verdict by Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court’s order on Friday for a review of the restrictions imposed on the internet and other modes of communication in Jammu and Kashmir should act as a reminder to the Centre that law and Constitution were above politics, the Congress tweeted.
The bench of justice NV Ramana, justice R Subhash Reddy and justice BR Gavai gave the ruling while hearing a bunch of petitions, including those by the editor of Kashmir Times newspaper Anuradha Bhasin and Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, against the clampdown in Jammu and Kashmir.
The top court also said the repetitive use of Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) that prohibits the gatherings of more than four people was “abuse of power”.
The Congress party called out the Centre in a tweet after the Supreme Court’s J-K verdict.
“SC rules that tactics like indefinite internet shutdowns & indiscriminate use of Sec144 to silence dissent are unacceptable in a democracy. We hope this serves as a reminder to the tyrant duo that law & constitution is above their divisive policies,” it said.
Before that, the party’s spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala also posted a tweet.
“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! (sic)” Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted.
Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nahi Azad, who was one of the petitioners, said every resident of Jammu and Kashmir had been waiting for this decision.
“The Supreme Court has made it clear to GoI that the government should publish all the orders passed since Aug 5, 2019. The court has also said that any order on the internet comes under judicial scrutiny,” Azad was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
The Centre had on August 5, 2019, abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution thereby revoking the special status of the state of Jammu & Kashmir.
The Valley was simultaneously placed under a shutdown in a what it said was to maintain security and calm.
Telephone lines, mobile communication and internet services were snapped and restrictions were imposed on the movement of people, the press and transport within the Valley.
A slew of petitions was filed challenging the restrictions, which the petitioners argued were in violation of their fundamental right to speech and expression and the right to move freely under Article 19 of the Constitution.
