3 Jammu and Kashmir government staffers sacked for ‘anti-national’ activities

Political parties opposed to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party at the Centre have termed the dismissals as an “abuse of power”

The Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) government on Monday terminated the services of three government employees, including the public relations officer of Kashmir University, Faheem Aslam, for alleged anti-national activities under Article 311 of the Constitution, according to government documents and officials aware of the matter.

With these dismissals, the number of employees whose services have been terminated by the government has risen to 52 (ANI)

With these dismissals, the number of employees whose services have been terminated by the government under the aegis of the article after the special status of J&K was revoked in 2019, has risen to 52 . Besides Aslam, the two other employees were identified as Murawath Hussain Mir, who worked in the Pulwama revenue department, and Shopian police constable Arshid Ahmad Thoker.

Political parties opposed to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre have termed the dismissals as an “abuse of power”.

“The Lieutenant Governor is satisfied after considering the facts and circumstances of the case and on the basis of the information available, that the activities of Mr. Faheem Aslam, Public Relations Officer (PRO) in the University of Kashmir S/o Mohammad Aslam R/o 166, Hazratbal, Srinagar are such as to warrant his dismissal from service,” read the order detailing the termination of Aslam’s services. “The Lieutenant Governor is satisfied under subclause (c) of the proviso to clause (2) of Article 311 of the Constitution of India that in the interest of the security of the State, it is not expedient to hold an inquiry in the case of Faheem Aslam,” the order said.

Similar orders were passed about Mir, who worked in the revenue department of Frestabal, Pampore (Pulwama district), and Arshid Ahmad Thoker, constable in the J&K police in Shadab Karewa, Manloo (Shopian district).

Government officials alleged that Aslam not only subscribes to and endorses secessionist ideology, but has been a “key propagandist for terrorists” in the Kashmir valley. “Faheem Aslam was planted in Kashmir University in August, 2008 by a terror-separatist kingpin as a contractual employee and subsequently he was confirmed. He was designated as media reporter by the university to keep the secessionist-terrorist campaign alive because the university campus was known as one of the epicentres of secessionist activism and an important breeding ground for terrorism as well,” a person aware of the matter said, adding that his appointment was done without any public advertisement, interview or police verification.

They added that Aslam, by virtue of his write-ups and social media posts, allegedly “made it abundantly clear that his loyalty lies with Pakistan”. “He had deleted several posts, which campaigned for secession of J&K and its merger with Pakistan, after the abrogation of Article 370. These posts have been retrieved during the course of investigation,” the person cited above said officials said.

The sacked employees refused to comment on the matter.

Following the revocation of J&K’s special status in 2019 and its bifurcation into the Union territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, the administration has sacked 52government employees working in J&K after recommendations from a designated committee mandated to scrutinise cases under Article 311(2) (c) of the Constitution. This provision gives the government the power to sack employees without an inquiry if “the President or the Governor, as the case may be, is satisfied that in the interest of the security of the State”.

The dismissals started after the government on April 21, 2021 set up a Special Task Force to identify and scrutinise the cases of employees involved in any case related to posing a “threat to the country’s security or anti-national activities”.

Top opposition political leaders in J&K lashed out at the government’s decision.

“The LG admin is institutionalising a permanent state of disintegration in J&K. Criminalising livelihood on preposterous reasons of ‘terror links’ at a time when the state is reeling from unemployment is only deepening the trust deficit. Its being done by misusing & invoking Article 311(2)b of the Indian Constitution,” former J& chief minister Mehbooba Mufti of the Peoples Democratic Party said in a tweet.

National Conference chief spokesman Tanvir Sadiq said that some arbitrary decisions have instilled a sense of fear among the employees. “While it is important to take action against anyone involved in any anti-national activities, employees should be given a fair opportunity to contest the charges brought against them,” he said.

Lauding the move, BJP’s J&K spokesperson Altaf Thakur said: “There are employees who use government offices for terrorism. So there should be zero tolerance against such employees, especially those who work for terrorists.”

Among the people who have been sacked by the government so far under Article 311 are chemistry professor Altaf Hussain Pandit, sons of Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, and a deputy superintendent in J&K prisons department. The government said that it has adopted a “zero tolerance policy” towards anti-national elements.