Breaking: SC says Centre's actions in Kashmir not justified

The Supreme Court on Friday said that the Centre's actions in Kashmir weren't justified by the emergency situation in the valley.

The court thereby asked the territory's government to publish all orders on Internet suspension and travel restrictions that enable legal challenges.

The court even ordered for a review of all orders on unlawful assembly (Section 144) and Internet suspension within seven days, followed by weekly periodic reviews.

Kashmir has been under lockdown by the central government since early August 2019, when the Home Ministry told Parliament that Jammu and Kashmir, then a state, would lose its special status and be split into two Union Territories -- J&K and Ladakh. The bifurcation came into effect on October 31 2019.

The Supreme Court deemed that imposing Section 144 orders repeatedly is an abuse of power. It can't be used to suppress legitimate expression, and their use needs to be justified by concerns of immediate violence, said the court.

The right to access Internet is a fundamental right under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution, and total shutdowns are "drastic" measures that should be considered only when "absolutely necessary", the Supreme Court said.

Reportedly, Kashmir's lockdown has been the longest in history.