[Live Updates] : SC Hearing Of Kashmir Petitions

Vrinda Grover making submissions

VG - They have failed to provide the orders authorising the IG of Police to issue orders regarding shutdown. They have also not provided any material of the review committee. These are required by law. They have only claimed in the affidavits that these orders were legitimate.

J. Gavai - We have enough time (because KS was rushing).

KS - I have to argue for a colleague. His personal liberty and that of the community of J&K is at stake (his colleague being P. Chidambaram).

Sibal finishes his arguments

This is absolutely preposterous. Confine the troublemakers, not 7 million people.

They are saying that there have been no incidents since August 5. Then why have there been restrictions ? If there is a bar on driving, there won’t be any traffic violations. This is what they’re arguing. Everything is normal because you have made it abnormal !

SG interjects - Police stations are the ones who pass these orders and there are hundreds of these. S144 Orders have not been extended. They were initially passed for two months.

J. Ramana - They’ve expired ?

SG - Yes.

KS - Let me now talk about the judgement of Babulal Parate case.

There have been no records of ordering or revoking restrictions. Nothing has been produced. They can’t just say it in the highest court of the country. Where’s the evidence ?

My own images have been morphed. I have been show with beef in my hand. But, this doesn’t mean that we should ban the internet. Nuclear technology gave us Hiroshima, but it also brought electricity. This is how the new age works.

Their argument is frivolous. They say that restrictions are necessary. Then they say that everything is normal.

The real question is, can life be stopped for 100 days ? Post winter, life already stops in the region.

J. Ramana - Can WhatsApp be restricted in particular areas ? Do you know about this as you appear to be the counsel for WhatsApp in certain cases.

KS - With end to end encryption, WhatsApp itself cannot view the contents of the messages. When it comes to morphed images can, AltNews is a fact checking platform which can verify such things.