Story perspectives

Omar Abdullah Warns Kashmir Internet Shutdown Exported to Delhi

By Drooid · Oct 11, 2026, 4:24 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Kashmir leaders Omar Abdullah and Surinder Choudhary met President Droupadi Murmu in Delhi before a protest on Friday, October 9, 2026.
They said the Delhi internet shutdown replicates the Kashmir model and questioned the Centre’s security strategy.
Omar Abdullah posted on X that the “Kashmir model has been exported to Delhi” criticizing the suspension.
Chief Justice of India ordered release of about 50-60 detained lawyers after the Supreme Court Bar Association appealed.

History

Historical Context

In August 2019, the Indian government imposed a 4-month internet blackout across Jammu and Kashmir following the revocation of Article 370. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Ministry of Home Affairs justified the shutdown, estimating that 2.5 million residents lost online access, costing roughly $1.5 billion in economic activity. The 2026 Delhi internet suspension, denounced by former chief minister Omar Abdullah and lawyer Surinder Choudhary, mirrors the 2019 Kashmir model, prompting similar legal challenges. Such precedents have pressured the Supreme Court of India, where Chief Justice Dhananjaya Chandrachud ordered the release of detained lawyers, highlighting judiciary pushback.

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Story summary

Kashmir leaders Omar Abdullah and Surinder Choudhary met President Droupadi Murmu in Delhi before a protest on Friday, October 9, 2026.
They said the Delhi internet shutdown replicates the Kashmir model and questioned the Centre’s security strategy.
Omar Abdullah posted on X that the “Kashmir model has been exported to Delhi” criticizing the suspension.
Chief Justice of India ordered release of about 50-60 detained lawyers after the Supreme Court Bar Association appealed.

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