SC declines urgent listing of plea challenging Manipur's internet ban
The Supreme Court on Friday declined to urgently list a plea challenging the current internet ban in violence-hit Manipur. The vacation bench hearing the matter said, "No need to duplicate proceedings," since the Manipur High Court is hearing the matter. The petition was filed by two Manipur residents on Tuesday against the "mechanical and repeated" internet shutdown in the state.
Why does this story matter?
Widespread ethnic violence has engulfed Manipur for over a month after clashes broke out between the state's tribal communities and the Meiteis, who form the state's majority and have been demanding Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. While the government said that relative calm has been restored and curfew partially lifted across the state, the internet shutdown has been extended till Saturday to avoid further disturbances.
Mention before regular bench: SC vacation bench
The vacation bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Rajesh Bindal asked the petitioner's counsel to mention the matter before a regular bench. The internet ban was enforced on May 3 after the Manipur HC directed the state government to consider the inclusion of the Meitei community in the ST list. The shutdown has been extended multiple times, with the latest being on May 26.
Internet ban affected our economic, psychological state: Petitioners
The petitioners, Chongtham Victor Singh, a lawyer, and Mayengbam James, a businessman, insisted that despite an "admitted de-escalation" of the situation, the state government repeatedly extended the internet shutdown. The plea stated that the ban has affected the petitioners and their families' economic, humanitarian, social, and psychological state. It said the measure caused "fear, anxiety, helplessness, and frustration" to the residents of the state.
Ban has no direct connection with law and order: Plea
They added that the shutdown was "grossly disproportionate" as it hindered the constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression and the right to operate a trade or business using the internet. They also said the latest extension orders didn't refer to the oversight of the Review Committee as necessitated by law, adding that the internet ban doesn't serve a legitimate purpose.
CBI to probe if violence was pre-planned
The Manipur government on Thursday recommended six out of a total of 3,734 FIRs to the Centre for investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). All the six recommended cases include a common conspiracy case to probe if the violence was pre-planned.
