No clampdown in Kashmir, Centre tells SC

New Delhi, November 21 

The Centre today told the Supreme Court that it had been relaxing the curbs imposed in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 and claimed that the pleas alleging “complete clampdown” were incorrect and irrelevant.

Appearing before a Bench headed by Justice NV Ramana, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta justified certain restrictions imposed in the region after the abrogation of Article 370 which gave the special status to the then state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Mehta told the Bench that relaxations had been given in the region since August 13 and it was not a complete clampdown as projected by petitioners. He said the pleas, including one filed by Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, alleging curbs, were inapproriate  and irrelevant.

He said that various Central legislations were not applicable in the state before the abrogation of Article 370 and laws such as right to information and prohibition of child marriage were not applicable to the state earlier.

The Solicitor General said the authorities had applied their minds in imposing or lifting curbs in the region and services such as post-paid mobile service restarted on October 14 in J&K. — PTI

Shutdown after Shah’s normalcy claim

Srinagar: Shops and business establishments observed a shutdown across Kashmir on Thursday, a day after Home Minister Amit Shah told Parliament all was normal in the Valley.The main markets and those on the outskirts remained shut. Since last week, shopkeepers had begun to extend working hours. TNS