Tribune News Service
New Delhi, July 5
The government on Sunday said that it had blocked 40 websites being operated by pro-Khalistan organisation Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), which has been declared “unlawful” under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said the action has been taken as the banned outfit had launched a campaign for registering supporters for “Referendum: 2020” to seek a separate homeland for the Sikhs.
The official said, “On the recommendation of the MHA, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued orders under Section 69 A of the IT Act, 2000, for blocking 40 websites run by the SFJ.” The organisation’s Facebook page has already been blocked. A notice too has been issued. “It has been reported to the department that URL http://sikhsforjustice.org contains objectionable content”, the spokesperson said. Section 69 A empowers the government to block public access to any URL “in the interest of the sovereignty and integrity of India”.
Unlock Exclusive Insights with The Tribune Premium
Take your experience further with Premium access.
Thought-provoking Opinions, Expert Analysis, In-depth Insights and other Member Only Benefits
Already a Member? Sign In Now