Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) on Monday staged a protest here demanding restoration of 4G mobile internet services in Jammu and Kashmir and claimed people, especially students, are suffering due to the lack of access to it during the coronavirus crisis.
Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party chairman and former minister Harsh Dev Singh led the protest. The protesters staged gathered near the party headquarters in Gandhi Nagar area here and torched an effigy of the BJP government to express their anger.
"The resumption of 2G services on mobile phones has made a mockery of the users. It is exceptionally feeble, slow and does not allow access to all sites," Singh told reporters.
Internet services were snapped across Jammu and Kashmir on August 5 last year, when the Centre revoked the special status to the erstwhile state and divided it into two union territories.
While 2G mobile data services were restored on January 25, 4G services remain suspended in Jammu and Kashmir.
"While the students still continue to suffer in attending online classes necessitated by the pandemic, online services including the procurement of the domicile certificate remain inaccessible in the far-flung areas due to the absence of 4G internet services," Singh said.
"Commercial houses, traders, businessmen, professionals and media fraternity have incurred losses worth crores over the past 11 months," he claimed.
Singh threatened to launch an agitation if 4G services are not restored in Jammu and Kashmir.
"Prolonged internet blockade of this kind is bizarre. Panthers party would be forced to launch a huge stir if full-fledged high speed 4G mobile internet services are not restored at the earliest," he said.
Singh asked why subscribers are being charged regular tariffs by telecom companies when they are not being provided 4G services.
"People have been blatantly duped during the coronavirus pandemic with no one to take cognisance. Should subscribers not get refunds?" he asked.
Questioning the silence of the Jammu-based BJP leaders on the matter, Singh alleged that after assuming power, the "saffron government" resorted to "nasty policy of coercion and oppression".
(PTI REPORT)
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