As the region faced internet blackout, the separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani was using landline and internet service for almost 8 days.
New Delhi| Two BSNL employees are facing action in a case related to separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani getting internet services despite communication ban. Allegedly, these two BSNL employees had helped in providing internet services to Geelani. Since August 5, the Kashmir valley is facing a communication ban. While Section 144 was imposed in parts of the state, landlines and internet services were blocked too. The move was taken as a “preventive measure” by the government to avoid any violence ahead of its historic announcement of abrogation of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir.
As the region faced internet blackout, the separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani was using landline and internet service for almost 8 days. According to sources, the officials could not even know whether Geelani was accessing the internet in Kashmir or he had tweeted from his account.
Since August 5, hundreds of other leaders, including prominent leaders of the state, Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti, Farooq Abdullah were put under house arrest and then detained.
Landline and broadband facilities were available from August 8
The investigation has found that despite the ban on communication, Syed Ali Shah Geelani continued to get landline and broadband facilities till the morning of August 8. When the matter came to light, the authorities started investigating it. The investigation revealed the collusion of two employees of BSNL. After this, BSNL took action against the two officers of the department and stopped the internet facility being provided to Geelani.
A threat to law and order:
The government feared that after the removal of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir, a law and order situation could arise there. In view of this, the government made additional deployment of paramilitary forces in the region. The government also put people who could have become a threat to peace and order in detention. To curb the rumours, the government banned the communication system in Jammu and Kashmir.
However, Geelani has been continuously posting anti-India views from his account. Many users have demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to even send Geelani to Pakistan. Last month (in July) his spokesman Gulzar Ahmed Gulzar was also arrested under the Public Safety Act.
Presently, phone services are slowly being restored in the valley. Schools have been opened here and Section 144 has been relaxed in some parts.
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