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Mehbooba criticises sacking of govt staff over ‘anti-state’ activities
The PDP chief’s strong criticism came after three government officials including an assistant professor were dismissed from service in Jammu and Kashmir
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Monday lashed out at the Centre for dismissing government employees in Kashmir on what she said were “flimsy grounds”.
“In the middle of a pandemic, GOI should focus on saving lives instead of firing government employees on flimsy grounds in Kashmir,” she said in a tweet.
“No wonder its misplaced priorities have converted India into shamshanghats and kabristans. The living continue to suffer and the dead are deprived of dignity,” she said.
Mufti’s comments came after the government dismissed a teacher and then a revenue officer in what it said was in the “interest of the security of the state”.
The general administration department issued an order on Friday stating that Lt governor Manoj Sinha, after considering the facts and circumstances of the case, observed that the activities of Idrees Jan, a teacher of Government Middle School, Kupwara, are such as to warrant his dismissal from service.
Similarly, in another order, Nazir Ahmad Wani, naib tehsildar of Pulwama, was dismissed under similar clauses.
The dismissals come after the government last month set up a special task force to identify and scrutinise employees involved in any case related to posing a threat to the country’s security or anti-national activities.
The order, however, has not gone down well with employees and union leaders. Former employee union leader and chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Civil Society Forum Abdul Qayoom Wani expressed resentment over the sacking calling it a jab on the employees’ integrity.
It has demanded that the decision be revoked and reviewed judiciously under the service norms so that justice can prevail.
