New Delhi, Jan 10: The Indian Journalists Union has welcomed Supreme Court’s judgement putting in place procedural safeguards to check misuse of communication shutdown and Section 144 reinforcing that freedom of speech and expression over the internet is a constitutional right.
The three-judge bench headed by Justice NV Ramana, while delivering its verdict on the petition of Anuradha Bhasin, Executive Editor of Kashmir Times, and others including the Indian Journalists Union, challenging the restrictions on journalists in the Valley, viewed the curbs as‘chilling effect’ and not a direct violation of press freedom. The internet shutdown and restriction of movement under Section 144 in the Valley, said the IJU, has handicapped the journalists in carrying out their duties. The apex court failed to see that the blocking of all channels of communication such as landlines, mobile phones and internet services had severely hampered the journalists’ ability to receive and disseminate information and therefore impinged on press freedom, their right to freedom of speech and expression as well as the citizens’ right to information, IJU’s press release said.
Noting that the Supreme Court has laid down sound rights respecting principles and asked the J&K authorities to review all orders suspending internet services forthwith and that orders not in consonance with the law be revoked, IJU hoped that the judgment would be implemented in its proper spirit and telecom services will be fully restored after the review exercise.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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