SC to hear on Sept 16 petitions against media restrictions in J-K

The Supreme Court said on Thursday it will hear petitions against alleged media and communication restrictions in Jammu and Kashmir on September 16.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi declined to pass any order and said, "We will hear all the petitions on September 16."

Lawyer Vrinda Grover, who appeared for Kashmir Times Executive Editor Anuradha Bhasin, submitted, "There could be a humanitarian crisis as per a video of a doctor."

She said, "There are parts where journalists cannot enter. Media is there to report things...The situation is not good there, in my opinion."

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta opposed the arguments of Grover and said that a large number of newspapers are being published in the region.

Bhasin chose not to publish the newspaper from Srinagar, Mehta contended.

Attorney General KK Venugopal said the situation has improved in the region and more than 80 per cent landline connections have been restored.

There is no truth in the petitioner's allegations that people do not have access to hospitals, he said, adding nearly 7 lakh patients attended OPD, over 4,000 underwent major surgeries and 40,000 had minor surgeries in the Valley since the revocation of the special status to J-K last month.

On August 28, the apex court had issued notice to the Centre on Bhasin's petition, which challenged the alleged restrictions on journalists in the Valley.

She filed an additional affidavit in the court on Wednesday, saying the movement of journalists continues to be restricted in Srinagar.

On August 13, Bhasin had moved the plea, claiming Kashmir Times was not published owing to the curbs on communication services and movement.

She had alleged that a bar was put on journalists' rights provided under the different provisions of the Constitution.

Last month, Parliament had passed the Jammu and Kashmir (Reorganization) Act, 2019, bifurcating the state into two Union Territories -- Jammu and Kashmir with legislature and Ladakh without it.