Indian govt further strengthens unelected LG’s authority in IIOJK with sweeping telecom powers
Srinagar: In yet another move underscoring New Delhi’s tightening grip over Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), the BJP-led Indian government has empowered Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, to exercise sweeping powers related to telecom services in the territory, further diminishing the already limited powers of the elected government.
According to Kashmir Media Service, a notification issued by the Indian government stated that the President of India has authorised the IIOJK Lieutenant Governor to exercise the powers of the “state government” under Section 20(2) of the Telecommunications Act, 2023. The provision allows the Indian government, state government, or any “specially authorised officer” to impose restrictions on telecom networks and services on grounds of “sovereignty and integrity of India, defence and security of the State, friendly relations with foreign states, public order,” and for preventing cognisable offences.
The powers granted include interception of calls and messages, surveillance and decryption of communications, suspension of telecom services, and blocking of transmissions during public emergencies or in the interest of public safety.
It is for the second time since the so-called Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act came into force in 2019 that the powers of the elected government have been clipped by the Indian government under the pretext of security concerns. Law and order which includes the matters of “national security” already falls outside the jurisdiction of the elected government in the occupied territory under the controversial Reorganisation Act, with the IIOJK police directly reporting to the office of the lieutenant governor.
Geeta Seshu, a prominent activist with the Free Speech Collective, said the latest notification shows “complete disregard” for the government led by Omar Abdullah and it is likely to make IIOJK’s LG more powerful. “Under the telecom act, the central and state governments have the power to authorise officers to take control of telecom services but this can bypass J&K’s (elected) government and illustrates a complete lack of regard for it,” she said.
Political observers said the move once again exposes the symbolic nature of the elected government in IIOJK, where key administrative, security, and governance powers continue to remain firmly under New Delhi’s control through the Lieutenant Governor. They Analysts noted that despite the formation of an elected government, the BJP-led Indian administration has continued to centralise authority in the occupied territory by vesting more powers in the unelected LG, further reducing the role of the local political leadership to a symbolic status.
They said the latest development is part of New Delhi’s broader policy of tightening administrative and political control over IIOJK following the unilateral abrogation of the territory’s special status on August 5, 2019.
