India's government has clamped down on various media and communication outlets after rumours of attacks against those from the Northeast led to panic and a mass exodus. In response, the government has blocked hundreds of websites, disabled Twitter accounts and imposed an SMS ban to prevent additional rumours from going viral.

While the government claims it's for the sake of national security, citizens are crying censorship. Some claim that India’s government is using this opportunity to polish its own image. Was India’s response appropriate or does it have its own political agenda?

In this episode of The Stream, we speak to Sadanand Dhume (@dhume01) of the American Enterprise Institute, Sanjoy Hazarika, Director of the Centre for North East Studies, and Pavan Duggal (@pavanduggal), President of CyberLaws.net.

What do you think? Is India’s internet clampdown for national security or censorship? Send us your thoughts and comments on Facebook or Twitter using #AJStream.