Restrictions in Kashmir being lifted ''progressively'': Javadekar

Kochi: Restrictions in the Kashmir Valley are being lifted every day progressively, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said on Friday as he promised a "completely normal new Kashmir".

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He also criticised certain international media outlets for telecasting "fake news" on the Kashmir situation and said they are being "exposed everyday".

The Minister for Information and Broadcasting, who was interacting with the audience at the Malayala Manorama News Conclave here, rejected suggestions that there was a media blackout in the valley.

Representatives of newspapers and TV news channels were on the field, he added.

Kashmiri newspapers are getting printed daily in all languages, and in Srinagar radio and news channels are reaching to the people, Javadekar said.

He was responding to a query on the alleged media blackout since August 5 when the Centre revoked Jammu and Kashmir's special status under Article 370 and divided the state into two Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

"There was a phase of reasonable restrictions. Now these restrictions are lifted everyday progressively and you will have completely normal new Kashmir and new India," the minister said.

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On international media reportage on Kashmir he said, "Now everybody has come to a situation where they realise that fake won't survive. It is people's power. They won't tolerate fake news."

"As far as media is concerned, many channels are exposing every day. As we know, a very famous foreign TV channel showed a demonstration of 10,000 people. The fact was...it was... one was demonstration in Karachi, and another was demonstration four years ago," he said.

These channels are "exposed now and they have refrained from further such postings and news broadcasts," the minister added.

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