Srinagar, Nov 10(KNS): Jammu and Kashmir Workers Party chief Mir Junaid criticized Omar Abdullah for his past actions in 2010, when he imposed  communication blackout in the region.

Junaid accused Abdullah of using social media for his own benefit but dismissing it when it was used to hold him accountable.

In post on X Junaid said, Let’s not lose sight of @OmarAbdullah own record when it comes to communication freedoms. Back in 2010, during his tenure as Chief Minister, he imposed one of the harshest communication blackouts in Jammu and Kashmir’s history. With a stroke of his pen, SMS services were cut off across the Valley, depriving people of a fundamental way to connect, organize, and support each other. Six months later, he reinstated post-paid SMS services, but pre-paid users—ordinary young people, students, families—were kept silenced for a staggering four years. Until 2014, people couldn’t freely message each other, unable to rely on even basic communication.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelThat’s the kind of restrictive control he was comfortable wielding, and now he has the audacity to mock us for using the very platforms he once denied us access to.

Fast forward to 2024, and we’re hearing this same man—a man who once silenced us with sweeping bans—now lecturing us on the supposed triviality of social media. This isn’t just hypocrisy; it’s an insult to our intelligence.

When it serves his interests, social media is his megaphone, his stage to call for manifesto suggestions, to pump out his campaign promises, to make sure his voice is heard. But as soon as these platforms start amplifying voices holding him accountable, they’re suddenly dismissed as the ‘University of WhatsApp.  (KNS)