Srinagar, Dec 27 : Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and JKLF chief Muhammad Yasin Malik on Wednesday denounced the social media gag order issued by the government for its employees.
While Mirwaiz termed the gag as “despotic”, Malik said the order resembles to that of North Korean dictatorship.
“It reflects their nervousness and desperation to suppress the truth about Kashmir and the aspirations of its people. It is also an acceptance by the repressive authorities with regard to what the popular sentiment of every Kashmiri citizen is that it wants to muzzle through such ridiculous gags,” Mirwaiz said in a statement issued to News Agency.
He said the state employees are an educated lot and important opinion makers of the Kashmiri society and choking their voice by issuing “dictatorial gags” is another form of “state repression”.
“Governments that used to be claimants of being representatives of people have trampled upon every trace of anything that can be called democratic,” Hurriyat (M) chairman said. “
Mirwaiz said barring employees, who are a part and parcel of the society from raising their concern regarding the situation and the issues facing the people and their views on social networking sites can’t help the government to hide its failures.
“Irony is that the government order is not just applicable to the employees but also extends to the family members of the employees, which clearly reflects that how low the government can stoop to muzzle and crush the genuine voices in Kashmir,” he said.
Malik in a statement issued to News Agency said the ban denies the universally recognized right of the freedom of speech.
“Dictatorial order suppressing use of social media by government employees resembles to that of North Korean dictatorship,” he said.
“Fraud politicians who once used to make hue and cry on human rights violations and propagated healing touch and battle of ideas by their undemocratic dictates have turned Kashmir into a military dictatorship where every voice of dissent is being suppressed by military might,” Malik said.
JKLF chief said this government has banned every peaceful political activity, restricted every peaceful protest and choked even the tiniest of political space in Jammu Kashmir. (GNS)
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