Police in India’s national capital have registered a case against Shehla Rashid, a political activist from Kashmir for allegedly spreading fake news against the Army. The complaint was filed by a lawyer of the Supreme Court of India, and sought the arrest of Rashid on charges of sedition and promoting enmity between different groups.
— ANI (@ANI) September 6, 2019
Rashid in a series of tweets had claimed the Indian Army was indiscriminately picking up men, raiding houses and torturing people in Jammu and Kashmir. She claimed human rights abuses were being carried out in the restive state to serve the agenda of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
— Shehla Rashid شہلا رشید (@Shehla_Rashid) September 5, 2019
— Shehla Rashid شہلا رشید (@Shehla_Rashid) September 2, 2019
— Shehla Rashid شہلا رشید (@Shehla_Rashid) August 30, 2019
India's army had officially rejected Shehla Rashid's claims and called it "baseless" and "unverified". Rashid however, defended saying, all her tweets were based on conversations with people. “My thread highlights the positive work of the administration too. Let the Army conduct a fair and impartial probe and I’m willing to share the details of the incidents."
Ever since New Delhi stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its special status by abrogating Article 370, a security clampdown has been enforced in the state and hundreds of political leaders, including two former chief ministers, taken into preventive custody.
While the government claims telecom services have been restored, mobile services and the Internet remain suspended.
