Waheed Para Slams J&K Govt Over “Selective Revival” of Social Media Gag Policy — Questions CM’s Stand
Srinagar, November 5:
PDP leader Waheed Ur Rehman Para on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the Jammu and Kashmir administration, accusing it of reviving the social media gag policy under the guise of monitoring orders. Para said the move contradicted the promises of freedom and openness made during the recent elections.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Para wrote, “The election in Jammu & Kashmir was fought to end silence, fear, and suffocation. People didn’t vote for control, they voted for dignity and the right to speak without fear.”
He further added, “Yet today, fresh orders to monitor and restrict social media are being issued selectively only in Jammu & Kashmir, nowhere else in India.”
Para questioned the stand of the Chief Minister on the issue, asking, “What is the Chief Minister’s stand on this? What does the CM, who also holds the Information portfolio, have to say?”
The PDP youth leader accused the government of using “vigilance and monitoring” as a pretext to intimidate journalists and suppress free expression. “This exposes a disturbing intent to control narratives, muzzle truth, and drag J&K further into a surveillance regime,” Para stated.
Calling for transparency and accountability, Para emphasised that the people of Jammu and Kashmir deserve openness, not oppression. “Jammu and Kashmir deserves openness, not oppression; transparency, not targeting,” he said, adding that the purpose of the election was to restore trust and dignity, not to replace one silence with another.
Para’s statement has sparked a renewed debate over free speech and government surveillance in the Union Territory, with many political observers saying the remarks put the government under pressure to clarify its position.