JAMMU: The Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) on Sunday reacted sharply to NITI Aayog member V K Saraswat's remark that the Union Territory's economy was not significantly affected by the Internet suspension and the data service was only used to watch "dirty films", and demanded his resignation on moral grounds.
"He (Saraswat) should morally resign from his post for his baseless utterances," JCCI president Rakesh Gupta told PTI.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the annual convocation at the Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology (DA-IICT) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat on Saturday, Saraswat said, "What difference does it make if there's no Internet there (Kashmir)? What do you watch on Internet there? What e-tailing is happening there? Besides watching dirty films, you do nothing there."
Gupta said his statement is "baseless and "shocking" and against the basic idea of digital India.
"The language the senior functionary of the government of India from an esteemed organisation like NITI Aayog is using has defamed the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
"He has also tried to link them to Jawaharlal Nehru University (protests), which he has no business," he said.
The JCCI president said in this digital India, for which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always worked hard, saying that the suspension of the Internet has not hit our economy is "bullshit".