The Jammu and Kashmir government blocked mobile internet services in the Jammu region following tension in Udhampur district over reports of cows' slaughter on Thursday.
The move came after carcasses of three cows were found on Thursday in Jammu's neighbouring district Udhampur, according to a PTI report. Fearing misuse of social media to spread rumours, the authorities suspended the mobile internet services in the Jammu region.
"Three carcasses of slaughtered cows were found behind the SDM office in Chenani tehsil of the district," PTI quoted Udhampur SSP Mohammad Suleman Choudhary as saying.
Tension gripped Udhampur as a large number of people came on the streets after hearing about the recovery of cow carcasses. Several shops also shut down, Choudhary said.
The beef row in the state escalated on Thursday when Independent lawmaker Engineer Rashid was thrashed by BJP legislators inside the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, a day after he organised a beef party to register his protest over the beef ban issue.
The Jammu and Kashmir High Court had earlier issued orders under the 150-year-old Ranbir Penal Code (RPC) to ban slaughter of bovine animals in Jammu & Kashmir and sale of beef across the state. However, the Supreme Court had on 5 October suspended the high court order for two months.
An SC bench comprising Chief Justice of India HL Dattu and Justice Amitava Roy had asked the chief justice of Jammu & Kashmir HC to constitute a three-judge panel to examine the validity of provisions of the RPC.
Earlier, mobile internet services were blocked for 41 hours in the Kashmir Valley in order to ensure peace during the celebrations of Eid al-Adha last month. The restriction was later extended to three days from 41 hours.
The move was to ensure that malicious messages over the beef row were not spread through social networking sites and messenger apps.
Mobile internet services blocked in Jammu over Beef row.
— ANI (@ANI_news) October 8, 2015
