Political Leaders Condemn Restriction on Kashmir Life Social Media Pages | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: Political leaders across party lines on Tuesday reacted sharply to the restriction of Facebook and Instagram handles of leading Kashmir-based media organisations, terming the move “unjustifiable,” “deplorable,” and a threat to press freedom.

Kashmir Life Facebook, Instagram Pages Restricted in India

Among the first to respond was Senior politician Sajad Gani Lone, expressing concern, he stated, “The FB and Instagram handles of some media institutions have been blocked. Most of them are responsible, mature institutions and include GK, Kashmir Life and Rising Kashmir. Their absence will do more harm. At times it has been seen that space vacated by responsible institutions can be filled by unknown entities, further harming the cause of a free and responsible media. The administration should unblock the handles.”

The FB and Instagram handles of some media institutions have been blocked.
Most of them are responsible, mature institutions and include GK, Kashmir Life and Rising Kashmir.
Their absence will do more harm. At times it has been seen that space vacated by responsible institutions…

— Sajad Lone (@sajadlone) March 3, 2026

Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti questioned the timing of the restrictions, stating, “At a time when people are grieving and showing solidarity with Iran, why is the government censoring @GreaterKashmir, @KashmirLife, and @RisingKashmir? Authorities must reverse these actions and uphold press freedom and democratic rights.”

At a time when people are grieving and showing solidarity with Iran, why is the government censoring @GreaterKashmir, @KashmirLife, and @RisingKashmir? Authorities must reverse these actions and uphold press freedom and democratic rights.

Platforms like @Meta, @Facebook, and…

— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) March 3, 2026

She further said that platforms like Meta, Facebook and Instagram “should not gag freedom of expression or amplify propaganda by silencing the people’s voice,” adding that the Jammu Kashmir government must stop censoring media in the region.

Her party the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also issued a statement, PDP strongly condemns the censoring of social media handles of @KashmirLife, @GreaterKashmir, and @RisingKashmir, especially during these challenging times. Restricting or suppressing lawful reporting during critical periods only deepens mistrust and weakens democratic values. Silencing the press is not a solution, it is a step backward.

PDP strongly condemns the censoring of social media handles of @KashmirLife, @GreaterKashmir, and @Rising
Kashmir, especially during these challenging times.

Restricting or suppressing lawful reporting during critical periods only deepens mistrust and weakens democratic values.…

— J&K PDP (@jkpdp) March 3, 2026

The party urged authorities to immediately reconsider the actions and protect democratic rights.

JKNC spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar, wrote on X,“The move to restrict social media (FB and Insta) handles of reputed vernacular news outlets including @GreaterKashmir, @RisingKashmir, @KashmirLife is deplorable and unjustifiable. The authorities must restore these handles immediately so that people have access to responsible reportage and fake news is not promoted inadvertently.”

The move to restrict social media (FB & Insta) handles of reputed vernacular news oulets including @GreaterKashmir, @RisingKashmir, @KashmirLife is deplorable and unjustifiable.

The authorities must restore these handles immediately so that people have access to responsible…

— Imran Nabi Dar (@ImranNDar) March 3, 2026

Member of the Jammu Kashmir Legislative Assembly Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi, strongly condemned the move, calling it censorship during a sensitive period. “Restricting or suppressing lawful reporting during critical periods only deepens mistrust and weakens democratic values. Now, more than ever, we must uphold the principles of freedom of expression and protect the independence of media institutions. Silencing the press is not a solution — it is a step backward.”

He urged the concerned authorities to immediately reconsider the action and reaffirm their commitment to press freedom and democratic rights.

Adding to the chorus, Sheikh Khurshid described the reported curbs as a “dangerous drift toward information control.”

First the voices were labelled inconvenient. Now they are being restricted. The reported curbs on Greater Kashmir’s Facebook page, Kashmir Life’s Facebook and Instagram and Rising Kashmir’s Instagram reflect a dangerous drift toward information control. When established media…

— Shiekh Khursheed (@khadime_langate) March 3, 2026

“First, the voices were labelled inconvenient. Now they are being restricted. When established media houses are throttled, it is not about regulation, it is about control. You cannot speak of democracy while shrinking the space for journalism. If there is any allegation, state it openly. Opaque restrictions only expose intolerance to scrutiny. A society that fears questions is already in decline.”

He said immediate clarification was “not a favour, it is an obligation.”

The reactions follow the restriction of Facebook and Instagram handles of Kashmir Life, Greater Kashmir, and Rising Kashmir in India. Users attempting to access the pages were shown notices stating that access had been restricted in compliance with a legal request under Indian law.

Meta’s notification indicated that the restriction was carried out pursuant to a legal request, citing provisions under the Information Technology Act, 2000, which empowers authorities to direct intermediaries to disable access to content upon receiving court orders or government notifications.

Founded in 2009, Kashmir Life operates a 24×7 news website and publishes a weekend magazine focusing on Jammu and Kashmir. Its Facebook page had approximately 1.8 million followers and served as a major distribution channel for news updates. The Instagram account had nearly 200,000 followers.

At the time of filing this report, there was no official clarification regarding the specific content cited in the legal notice, the scope of the restriction, or its duration.