Jammu and Kashmir lockdown after the abrogation of Article 370, 2019-2021

What the government did

1. 4 Aug 2019

   Internet shutdownState government, Jammu and KashmirShare

   Mobile phone networks, internet services and landline connectivity were discontinued in the Kashmir Valley on 4 August 2019, as recorded in the Supreme Court judgment.

   MoreLess · 4 sources

   Cable TV was also cut, The Indian Express reported. Hindustan Times reported that landlines were restored between mid-August and September 2019, postpaid mobile services on 14 October 2019, and SMS on 1 January 2020. Before the Supreme Court, the Solicitor General said internet was never restricted in the Jammu and Ladakh regions, and that the limited use of the internet was meant to stop messages from outside the country that could incite violence. The court recorded that the State placed only sample orders on record, citing difficulty in producing orders that were withdrawn and modified day to day.

   Legal basis: Section 5(2), Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, and the Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules, 2017 (as stated by the Union Home Ministry in the Lok Sabha on 20 September 2020; the Supreme Court reviewed the orders under the 2017 Suspension Rules)

   Sources [7][10][9][20]

2. 4 Aug 2019

   House arrestState government, Jammu and KashmirShare

   Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti and other mainstream leaders were placed under house arrest on the night of 4 August 2019.

   MoreLess · 12 sources

   Al Jazeera reported that both were arrested on 5 August, with Omar Abdullah held at Hari Niwas and Mehbooba Mufti at Chashm-e-Shahi, both government guest houses; The Wire reported on 5 August that Mehbooba Mufti had been shifted to Hari Niwas. Farooq Abdullah, a sitting Lok Sabha MP, was held at his home on Gupkar Road, Al Jazeera reported; The Quint reported the government's claim that he had not been put under house arrest. The administration did not publish detention figures at the time, and AFP reported that the J&K government spokesman said there was no centralised figure. Counts given later by the Union Home Ministry in Parliament, and earlier by unnamed officials to the press, differ (see figures). On 15 September 2020 the Home Ministry told the Lok Sabha that no political leader was under house arrest in the union territory; former Union Minister Saifuddin Soz said in a statement that he had been under house arrest since 5 August 2019.

   Legal basis: Section 107 CrPC (for Omar Abdullah, according to his sister's petition in the Supreme Court, as reported by The Wire)

   • over 1,000 people detained by mid-August 2019, including politicians, separatists and activists, said unnamed official in Jammu and Kashmir, to Al Jazeera [3]
   • at least 4,000 people arrested and held under the Public Safety Act, by 18 August 2019, said unnamed magistrate, to AFP [24]
   • around 6,000 people medically examined at places in Srinagar after being detained, by 18 August 2019, said unnamed police official, to AFP [24]
   • 5,161 people taken into preventive custody in the Kashmir Valley since 4 August 2019, as of 3 December 2019, said Union Ministry of Home Affairs (written Lok Sabha reply by G. Kishan Reddy) [18]
   • 609 people still under preventive detention, as of 3 December 2019, said Union Ministry of Home Affairs (written Lok Sabha reply by G. Kishan Reddy) [18]
   • 6,605 people taken into preventive custody since August 2019, as of 5 February 2020, said Government of Jammu and Kashmir, as reported by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (written Rajya Sabha reply) [19]
   • 437 people still under preventive detention, none of them minors, as of 5 February 2020, said Government of Jammu and Kashmir, as reported by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (written Rajya Sabha reply) [19]
   • 223 people under detention, as of 11 September 2020, said Government of Jammu and Kashmir, as reported by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (written Lok Sabha reply) [20]
   • none political leaders under house arrest, as of 15 September 2020, said Union Ministry of Home Affairs (written Lok Sabha reply) [21]

   Sources [3][10][2][1][6][26][24][18][19][20][21][28]

3. 5 Aug 2019

   Section 144 / 163State government, Jammu and KashmirShare

   District Magistrates imposed restrictions on movement and public gatherings under Section 144 CrPC, as recorded by the Supreme Court.

   MoreLess · 8 sources

   A J&K government statement on the night of 4 August said there would be no movement of public in Srinagar district and all educational institutions would stay closed. PTI, as carried by The Wire, reported that the Srinagar orders banned assembly of more than four people, that similar orders were imposed in Jammu district, and that night curfew was imposed in Kishtwar and Rajouri districts and the Banihal area. The Srinagar district administration posted that restrictions under Section 144 had been imposed and that there were no curfew orders anywhere; The Indian Express reported that residents were not allowed outside their neighbourhoods and that curfew passes were not being issued. Before the Supreme Court, the Solicitor General said individual movement had never been restricted, that restrictions were never imposed in Ladakh, and that they were being relaxed gradually. On 16 August 2019 Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam said no lives had been lost since the restrictions began; AFP reported a family's account that a 62-year-old man died from tear gas fired by security forces (see figures).

   Legal basis: Section 144 CrPC (orders by District Magistrates restricting movement and public gatherings, as recorded by the Supreme Court)

   • none deaths or serious injuries since the restrictions began, as of 16 August 2019, said Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam (press conference, as reported by AP) [25]
   • none loss of life or major injury since 5 August 2019, as of 16 August 2019, said Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam (press conference, as reported by The Quint) [26]
   • 1 (Sidiq Khan, 62) death alleged to have been caused by tear gas fired by security forces, by 18 August 2019, said his nephew Muddasir Ahmed, to AFP [24]

   Sources [7][1][2][17][10][25][26][24]

4. 14 Sep 2019

   DetentionState government, Jammu and KashmirShare

   The District Magistrate of Srinagar, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, ordered the detention of Farooq Abdullah under the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act, 1978 on 14 September 2019, according to documents reported by The Tribune.

   MoreLess · 3 sources

   The order became public on Monday 16 September 2019. The Tribune reported that the dossier cited 34 media reports and documents, and that the order called the detention necessary to maintain public order.

   Legal basis: Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act, 1978

   Sources [27][5][4]

5. 10 Jan 2020

   OtherCourtShare

   Supreme Court judgment in Anuradha Bhasin v.

   MoreLess · 1 source

   Union of India: free speech and trade over the internet are protected under Article 19; indefinite suspension of internet is not permitted; all suspension and Section 144 orders must be published and reviewed; a review committee must re-examine suspensions every seven working days; and restoration of e-banking, hospital and government website access must be considered.

   Sources [7]

6. 25 Jan 2020

   ConcessionState government, Jammu and KashmirShare

   The J&K administration said on 24 January 2020 that mobile data would be restored across the union territory at 2G speed from 25 January 2020, limited to a government whitelist of websites with social media and VPNs blocked.

   MoreLess · 3 sources

   The Union Home Ministry later told the Lok Sabha that mobile data at 2G speed had been available since 24 January 2020, and that restrictions on social media sites were lifted on 4 March 2020. A first whitelist and partial 2G restoration in the Jammu division and two Valley districts had been announced on 18 January.

   Sources [8][9][20]

7. 11 May 2020

   OtherCourtShare

   In Foundation for Media Professionals v.

   MoreLess · 1 source

   Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the Supreme Court did not order 4G restored. It set up a Special Committee headed by the Union Home Secretary, with the Union Communications Secretary and the J&K Chief Secretary, to determine whether the restrictions needed to continue, and to examine limiting them to areas where necessary and allowing faster internet on a trial basis in some areas.

   Sources [23]

8. 5 Feb 2021

   ConcessionState government, Jammu and KashmirShare

   The J&K administration ordered restoration of 4G mobile internet across the union territory on 5 February 2021, more than 17 months after it was suspended.

   MoreLess · 3 sources

   The order cited an assessment by a special committee set up on the Supreme Court's 11 May 2020 directions. 4G had been restored on trial in Ganderbal and Udhampur districts from 16 August 2020.

   Sources [22][9][23]

Outcome

Mobile internet was restored in stages, with 4G across Jammu and Kashmir from February 2021. The J&K government revoked Mehbooba Mufti's PSA detention on 13 October 2020, fourteen months after her arrest and two days before the Supreme Court was to hear her daughter's petition.

Background

Who governed at the start of the protest. Each action above counts for the party in power where and when it happened.

Centre government

BJPNDA, Narendra Modi, Prime Minister

State government

other (President's rule; Union Territory administration from 31 October 2019) in Jammu and Kashmir, Satya Pal Malik, Governor

Places

Srinagar, Kashmir Valley, Jammu, Kishtwar, Rajouri, Banihal

Cause

Abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories

Organisers

No single organiser; the restrictions were pre-emptive and targeted mainstream parties, separatists and activists

Scale

Valley-wide communications blackout and movement restrictions. Detention counts differ by source and date: an unnamed official told Al Jazeera in August 2019 that over 1,000 people had been detained; an unnamed magistrate told AFP that at least 4,000 were held under the Public Safety Act; the Union Home Ministry told the Lok Sabha in December 2019 that 5,161 people had been taken into preventive custody in the Kashmir Valley since 4 August 2019

What they said

Words in quote marks were matched in the source. Everything else is a summary; open the source for the exact words. Each statement says whether the speaker's party was in power or in opposition at the time.

Sources

1. 1India imposes Kashmir lockdown, puts leaders 'under house arrest'Al Jazeera, Rifat Fareed, 4 Aug 2019T4 ReportArchived 4 Aug 2019
2. 2Article 370 Revoked: J&K Leaders Detained, PM Modi Praises Amit ShahThe Wire, 5 Aug 2019T5 SecondaryArchived 5 Aug 2019
3. 3Key Kashmir political leaders arrested by India since August 5Al Jazeera, Rifat Fareed, 17 Aug 2019T4 ReportArchived 31 Dec 2020
4. 4Explained: What is Jammu and Kashmir's Public Safety Act?The Indian Express, Kaunain Sheriff M, Bashaarat Masood, 17 Sep 2019T5 SecondaryArchived 18 Sep 2019
5. 5PSA file indicts Omar Abdullah for getting people to vote, refers to Mehbooba Mufti as 'Daddy's girl'The Indian Express, Bashaarat Masood, 10 Feb 2020T4 ReportArchived 10 Feb 2020
6. 6Omar Abdullah's Sister Files Petition in Supreme Court Against His Detention Under PSAThe Wire, 10 Feb 2020T5 SecondaryArchived 11 Feb 2020
7. 7Anuradha Bhasin v. Union of India (W.P. (C) No. 1031 of 2019)Supreme Court of India (via Indian Kanoon), 10 Jan 2020T2 CourtArchived 11 Jan 2020
8. 8Data Services on Low Speed 2G Restored Across J&K, Some News Sites Now 'Whitelisted'The Wire, 24 Jan 2020T5 SecondaryArchived 25 Jan 2020
9. 917 months on, 4G internet services restored in Jammu and KashmirHindustan Times, Mir Ehsan, 6 Feb 2021T4 ReportArchived 6 Feb 2021
10. 10Kashmir Valley has seen many a lockdown but why this time it is so differentThe Indian Express, Muzamil Jaleel, Bashaarat Masood, Adil Akhzer, 7 Aug 2019T4 ReportArchived 7 Aug 2019
11. 11'Dark day for democracy': Mehbooba Mufti on scrapping of Article 370 for India's Jammu and KashmirGulf News, 5 Aug 2019T5 SecondaryArchived 5 Aug 2019
12. 12Mehbooba released, says 'will take back what Delhi snatched'The Indian Express, Bashaarat Masood, 14 Oct 2020T4 ReportArchived 16 Oct 2020
13. 13Today, Modi govt has corrected a long overdue historic wrong. (post)Amit Shah (@AmitShah), X, 5 Aug 2019T1 RecordArchived 12 Jul 2024
14. 14Today marks the darkest day in Indian democracy. (post)Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti), X, 5 Aug 2019T1 RecordArchived 3 Jul 2024
15. 15If officers in the state government are to be believed mobile internet is going down now (post)Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah), X, 4 Aug 2019T1 Record
16. 164G Mubarak! (post)Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah), X, 5 Feb 2021T1 RecordArchived 23 Jan 2025
17. 17Restrictions u/s 144 CrPC have been imposed in districts in view of prevailing law & order situation. (post)Srinagar district administration (@srinagaradmin), X, 5 Aug 2019T1 Record
18. 18Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2417, 3 December 2019: Detention in J&K (reply of G. Kishan Reddy, MoS Home Affairs)Ministry of Home Affairs (Lok Sabha), 3 Dec 2019T1 RecordArchived 7 May 2024
19. 19Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question No. 360, 5 February 2020: Detentions in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh (reply of G. Kishan Reddy, MoS Home Affairs)Ministry of Home Affairs (Rajya Sabha), 5 Feb 2020T1 RecordArchived 8 Jun 2021
20. 20Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1405, 20 September 2020: Detention under Public Safety Act (reply of G. Kishan Reddy, MoS Home Affairs)Ministry of Home Affairs (Lok Sabha), 20 Sep 2020T1 RecordArchived 12 Aug 2024
21. 21Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 403, 15 September 2020: Impact of removal of Article 370 (reply of G. Kishan Reddy, MoS Home Affairs)Ministry of Home Affairs (Lok Sabha), 15 Sep 2020T1 RecordArchived 7 May 2024
22. 22Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question No. 987, 10 February 2021: Resumption of 4G internet services in J&K (reply of G. Kishan Reddy, MoS Home Affairs)Ministry of Home Affairs (Rajya Sabha), 10 Feb 2021T1 RecordArchived 12 Jun 2021
23. 23Foundation for Media Professionals v. Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (judgment of 11 May 2020)Supreme Court of India (via Indian Kanoon), 11 May 2020T2 CourtArchived 19 May 2020
24. 24'4,000 detained' in Kashmir since autonomy strippedAFP via Asia Times (AFP copy), Parvaiz Bukhari, 18 Aug 2019T5 SecondaryArchived 22 Oct 2020
25. 25Hundreds join street protest in Kashmir, defying restrictionsAP via PBS NewsHour (AP copy), Ashok Sharma, 16 Aug 2019T5 SecondaryArchived 16 Aug 2019
26. 26Ground Report: Phone Lines in Kashmir to Be Restored Over WeekendThe Quint, Shadab Moizee, 16 Aug 2019T4 ReportArchived 13 Sep 2019
27. 27PSA order: Farooq's acts prior to abrogation led to detentionThe Tribune, Ishfaq Tantry, 19 Sep 2019T4 Report
28. 28Home Minister's statement in Parliament that nobody was under house arrest in J&K not true: Saifuddin SozNational Herald, 18 Sep 2020T5 SecondaryArchived 17 Oct 2021

Similar precedents

Faded actions are ones this precedent does not share.