West Bengal’s new Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government on Wednesday imposed a “complete prohibition” on government officials interacting with the media or sharing information without prior permission, citing Central and state government service rules.
It was sent to Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), West Bengal Civil Service (WBCS) and West Bengal Police Service (WBPS) and other state government employees.
The order, a copy of which HT saw, cited Central and state government service rules and said that the “complete prohibition” would also apply to appearing in media programmes or writing articles for newspapers unless sanctioned by the government.
“Complete prohibition, except with prior sanction, on the participation or association of any member of the services in any sponsored or privately produced media programme or any media programme sponsored by the government of India but produced by an outside agency,” the order said.
The prohibition applies to “direct or indirect communication of any document or information with the press by the members of the services” unless there is a government order.
The order prohibits the officers from making “any adverse criticism of any policy or decision of the Central or the state government, by any publication, interaction, utterance or broadcast” and any act that could lead to “straining of the relations” between the state and the Centre, or between the Centre and other nations.
{{/usCountry}}The order prohibits the officers from making “any adverse criticism of any policy or decision of the Central or the state government, by any publication, interaction, utterance or broadcast” and any act that could lead to “straining of the relations” between the state and the Centre, or between the Centre and other nations.
{{/usCountry}}No state government official commented on the order till Thursday night.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee alleged in a social media post that the state intends to silence government employees.
“This shocking circular is not about discipline. It is about curtailing free expression and systematically choking fundamental rights to ensure absolute obedience to the masters sitting in Delhi,” he wrote in a social media post.