The Director General of Police (DGP) for Jammu and Kashmir, R R Swain, said on Thursday, "Posting any content on social media that promotes disharmony will be a criminal offence in Jammu and Kashmir," as reported by PTI.
A new provision under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) will be introduced into effect, the DGP stated, adding, "Under (Section) 144 CrPC, we have decided to bring a law on the posting of any type of content – message, video, audio – which will instigate communal disharmony and terrorise or threaten anyone."
He further said that posting such messages or videos by "terrorists, separatists, or anti-national elements" will be considered a crime, and the police will work collaboratively with the people of Kashmir to "isolate such miscreants."
This comes following the arrest of a non-local student enrolled at the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Srinagar, on November 29 for allegedly “insulting Islam” and “outraging the religious feelings”. The incident led to widespread protests in Srinagar.
Jammu and Kashmir already has a series of anti-terror laws in place. Since the revocation article 370 on August 5, 2019, instances of utilising the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Public Safety Act (PSA) have seen a notable rise. In 2019 alone, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reported 255 cases registered in Jammu and Kashmir under the UAPA.
