SC Reimposes Ban On SMS
August 6, 2008
NEW DELHI: Ban on SMSes in violence-ridden Jammu region will continue, the Supreme Court said on Tuesday while agreeing with the J&K government’s plea that SMS was used to spread rumours that fanned violent protests against revocation of land allotment to Amarnath Shrine Board.
The state, which appeared to have zeroed in on SMSes as the culprit behind the flare-up that refuses to die down, challenged the HCs August 4 order lifting curbs imposed by the state government on SMSes, telecasts on local TVs and issuance of curfew passes to reporters.
A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan went along with the J&K government’s reasoning and stayed the HC order relating to SMSes. However, when it questioned the state’s order on regulating curfew passes for reporters, the state promised that it would make available the passes provided the reporters made applications for that purpose.
The violent protests in Jammu started a day after the state government bowed to protests in the Valley and revoked its earlier order diverting alleged forest land to Amarnath Shrine Board for the purpose of building temporary shelters for pilgrims.
On August 2, the district magistrate of Jammu passed an order putting curbs on local television channels, but withdrew it after two channels agreed to abide by the dictat voluntarily. Following imposition of ban on SMSes, the Bar Association of Jammu moved a petition on Sunday. A division Bench, hearing the petition ordered lifting of the curbs.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
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1 comment:
Boss, it would be juvennile to think that the thing can be controled now by taking these miniature steps. Guess, it’s high time that the political parties put up their hand and try to save J&K from further damage. The people in the state have already ben subjected to a over a month of unrest and hi-scale communal drama. It is an appeal to the people who are decison makers that please dont force the people of J&K to get used to violence and communalism.
I mean just imagine it is just over a piece of land…well now the issue has gone beyond the land and has brought forward many latent conspiracies. As I see it, this is another example of ‘Why should we care’ attitude by the decison makers.
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