Security personnel in Jammu and Kashmir | Photo Credit: PTI

New Delhi: The Union government on Tuesday informed the Supreme Court that a cyber war was being waged from across the border to instigate local citizens in Jammu and Kashmir. During a hearing in the apex court on petitions that challenged the restrictions imposed in Kashmir in the wake of abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, the Centre said several hashtags on the social media were inciting anti-India sentiments.

Seeking the court's nod to submit sensitive material on Kashmir having trans-border implication, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta – appearing on behalf of the Centre – said official Twitter handles of the Pakistan Army were being used to instigate anti-India sentiments in the Valley.

Justifying the restrictions imposed on Internet access in Kashmir, Mehta said Internet had emerged as a successful medium to spread Jihadi messages.

“The spread of Jihad nowadays takes place on the Internet. Unfortunately, Internet Jihadi is a successful one. It is a global phenomenon. The Jihadi leaders can engage through the Internet to spread hatred and conduct illegal activities,” Mehta told the court.

“Blocking Internet is justified to prevent such terror acts on the dark web. WhatsApp, Telegram and other apps can be used to spread messages. (Tackling them) becomes an endless job. The purpose of the government to stop law and order problems gets defeated,” he added.

Justifying the permission to publish newspapers from the Valley while keeping restrictions on Internet access intact, the solicitor general said that newspapers are different from the Internet as they are one-sided communication.

To a question on whether the people in Jammu and Kashmir can access the Internet, and since when if yes, Mehta said: “Since August 7, they can visit Internet centres after getting passes.”

The solicitor general said the government had imposed restrictions to maintain law and order. “No individual movement was restricted. Public movement and gatherings were restricted to avoid any untoward situation,” the official said.

“We have taken the least restrictive measures keeping in view inconvenience it may cause to the people. And people who have to participate in a funeral procession or anything like that have to take prior permission from concerned authorities,” he added.

Mehta said Internet restrictions have already been lifted from many places in Jammu and Kashmir, which is now a Union Territory minus Ladakh, which became a separate UT on October 31.

“In the larger interest of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, the abrogation of Article 370 was done. These are exceptional situations, need exceptional caution,” the solicitor general said.

“The imposition and restrictions were required as per the situation (in J&K). It is our duty to maintain the law and order. Preservation of public law and rule of law has to be maintained at any cost,” Mehta informed the court.

The Supreme Court was hearing a batch of petitions filed by Kashmir Times editor Anuradha Bhasin and Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, with respect to communication and other restrictions imposed after the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir on August 5.