Independence Day celebrations: Internet, mobile services unaffected in J&K - a first in three years [Details]

For the first time in three years, internet and mobile services remained unaffected during Independence Day celebrations across Jammu and Kashmir.

Earlier authorities used to snap internet services during celebrations of Independence Day and Republic Day as part of security drill but this time services remained unaffected on August 15.

"There is neither internet shutdown nor #restrictions on the eve of the #IndependenceDay," Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Vijay Kumar said in a tweet.

This is for the first time in three years that the Internet and mobile services in Kashmir remained unaffected on Independence Day. The services were not snapped last in 2018 during governor N N Vohra's tenure.

There were no restrictions on the movement of people across Srinagar and other parts of the Valley on Sunday, although security forces have been deployed in strength at sensitive places in Kashmir.

4G internet services were restored in J&K on Feb 6, 2021

The Jammu and Kashmir administration on February 6, 2021, had restored high-speed mobile internet services in the region, a move that came more than 17 months after 4G facilities were snapped ahead of the Centre's decision to abrogate Article 370 and 35-A.

Authorities had suspended 4G mobile internet services on August 4, 2019, a day before the central government abrogated Article 370 and 35-A and bifurcated the erstwhile state of J&K into two UTs — J&K with a legislative assembly and Ladakh without one.

PM's speech telecast live on ID screens in Srinagar

In a first, the Independence Day speech of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on Sunday morning telecast on a big screen installed in the summer capital, Srinagar.

A big screen and speakers were put up at Jahangir Chowk, less than a km from Lal Chowk-heart of the summer capital of the Union Territory of J&K, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ID speech was played live.