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‘Switching off Kashmir doesn’t erase truth,’ Twitter panics as govt mulls ban on social media in J&K

The Jammu and Kashmir govt has suspended 3G and 4G mobile internet services and may ban social media sites for six months across Kashmir

Situation in the state of Jammu and Kashmir has remained tensed for quite sometime now. Days after banning the 4G and 3G services in J&K, the government is now reportedly considering to impose a ban on social media sites for a period of six months.

As per the local media reports, the move is being taken so that videos of violence that may cause further violence in the state, don’t go viral on various social media sites. The internet services, including those for mobile and broadband, have been suspended altogether since the intervening night of April 8 and 9. The government has affirmed that being done to “control” the situation.

However, the move has certainly not gone down too well with social media users as they have come forward to lash out at the government while terming the move as a threat to democracy. Here’s how Twitter reacted:

People killed and maimed ,Internet bandwidth reduced to 2G , next step to ban social media .
Welcome to #North Korea #Kashmir

— NS354 (@saakib_najmus) April 20, 2017

India has Already banned Internet here in Kashmir on Repeat & yes now india wants Permanent ban on Social media to Choke voices #KashmirNow

— Usman Bilal _ (@The_Kashmiri) April 20, 2017

#IndianImperialism mulling ban of #socialmedia to crush n push #kashmir if not imperialism then wats it

— arshid butt (@buttarshid) April 20, 2017

Internet..social Media ban in offing in Kashmir.. …indias Democracy taking shape ??

— Nayeem Khan (@nayeem_111) April 19, 2017

Recently, a video that went viral on social media, three youth were seen with bruised faces being tortured by the masked soldiers. In another video, a man was seen tied to an armoured vehicle as a “human shield”

Govt has no control in Kashmir except for the Internet. Why don’t they just ban camera phones so that world can’t see Reality? #kashmir

— AazibRangrez (@AazibRangrez) April 17, 2017

This ban on internet is only to prvnt people frm uploadng wt Indian police did to students in Kashmir? Shame on u, can’t hold a few students

— Ayaan Maqsood (@ayaanmaqsood) April 17, 2017

Now @MehboobaMufti please don’t ban oxygen in #Kashmir we can live without internet but not without oxygen #GoMehboobaGo @Junaid_Mattu

— Asif wangnoo (@asifwangnoo1) April 19, 2017

@MirwaizKashmir @Quickieleaks @UNHumanRights @AJEnglish @PressTV ban on high speed internet is badly affecting education in kashmir

— Khalid Rasool (@Khalid_rk) April 19, 2017