Aiding militancy on social media can invite UAPA: J-K Police

SRINAGAR — Apparently warning those who allegedly use social media to glorify militancy, Jammu and Kashmir Police has asked netizens to refrain from aiding and abetting militancy through social media as it will invite stringent Unlawful Activities of Prevention Act for the violators.

Shortly after the Zewan attack, which left three cops dead and 11 injured, Jammu and Kashmir Police took to Twitter and posted a tweet along with a couple of photographs.

“Beware social media users. Aiding and abetting of terror is as grave as the actual act of terror. It is punishable under Unlawful Activities of Prevention Act (UAPA),” reads the tweet.

Some photographs also contained text messages like: “Its not normal to promote violence….its not normal to act as information agents of militant handlers in Pakistan and help them to kill your neighbour and colleagues….its not normal either to post or forward threat messages.”

Several people, including government employees, have faced heat after expressing dissent on social media, even some employees faced suspension. During PDP-BJP rule in Jammu and Kashmir, government employees were barred from expressing themselves and were warned of action for being critic to the government.

In past, scores of cases as per news agency Kashmir News Trust were filed against social media users for their alleged anti-state posts.

Recently, a lady Jammu Kashmir Bank attendant was placed under suspension for reacting with a laughing emoji on a news post related to the death of CDS General Bipin Rawat.

Social media giants like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter have blocked or unpublished dozens of accounts of users in Kashmir for the posts which they think were undesirable and went against their standard community guidelines.