The police on Thursday evening asked all the cellular companies operating in Jammu and Kashmir to withdraw Internet services for 48 hours from Friday morning, fearing trouble during the Eid congregations in the wake of recent beef ban controversy.“In view of apprehensions of misuse of data services by anti-national elements, which is likely to cause deterioration of the law and order situation, you (cellular companies) are requested to snap data services through GPRS, 2G and 3G and broadband in Kashmir Valley, starting Friday up to Saturday night,” said a communique issued by Inspector General of Police S.J.M Jilani.This is for the first time that such a long period of Internet ban is being imposed in the Valley.Most security agencies were reportedly in favour of the ban following ground reports of moves for large scale protests and slaughtering of bovines.A court recently re-invoked the ban on bovine slaughter in the State in response to a petition filed by right wing parties and asked the police to strictly enforce the ban.A clampdown on separatists was also launched to foil any attempt to hold protest rallies after the Eid prayers.Top Hurriyat leaders, Yasin Malik, Shabir Ahmad Shah and Nayeem Ahmad Khan, are already under house arrest.“It is an act of appeasement of the RSS and other Hindu chauvinist forces by PDP rulers,” alleged Mr. Malik.Ayaz Akbar, spokesman for the Hurriyat faction headed by Syed Ali Geelani, alleged that most office bearers at the district-level had been detained.Engineer Rashid, a legislator representing the Awami Ittehad Party, was arrested when he was on his way to Rajouri to offer Eid prayers on Friday.“I just wanted to give a sense of belonging to Jammu Muslims who feel isolated after the communal forces started taking the region as a conquered one,” he said.
Cellular companies have been requested to snap data services through GPRS, 2G and 3G and broadband in Kashmir Valley, starting Friday up to Saturday night
