Srinagar: The National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party of Sunday criticized the dismissal of eleven government employees terming the move as “arbitrary”.
The employees, including sons of Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin who has been designated a “global terrorist” by the US, were sacked by the union territory’s administration for allegedly “working for various terror groups”, officials had said on Saturday.
Describing the dismissals an “arbitrary action”, NC spokesperson said the measure is a prima facie case of arbitrariness, where a non-judicial entity is establishing the guilt of the accused party without giving the accused a fair chance to contest the charges levelled against him.
The 11 people were dismissed under Article 311 of the Indian Constitution under which employees hold their office under the pleasure of the president and can be dismissed without an inquiry.
The aggrieved employees can only approach a high court for relief.
“The thoughtless measure is also blind to the consequential quandary, which the families of such dismissed employees will face due to blocking of their income sources. The doctrine of pleasure even snatches the reasonable opportunity to show cause against proposed action to be taken against the accused,” the spokesperson said.
The 11 employees are from the Jammu Kashmir Police, the education, agriculture, skill development, power and health departments, and the Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS).
“Notwithstanding anything, most of the employees who are being shown the door at the drop of a hat were inducted into government service by former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Jagmohan after he banned various privately run schools and got the teachers affiliated with them adjusted into the government-run schools,” the NC spokesperson said.
“Now, after decades, the employees are being shown the door regardless of their length of service and the resulting impact on their families. Such arbitrary action has created a fear psychosis among the employees and impaired the work culture in government departments,” he said.
The NC spokesperson demanded the accused employees be allowed to knock on the doors of courts to contest the allegations legally.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said the dismissal of government employees on “flimsy grounds” was “criminal” and that the Centre continues “disempowering” the people of Jammu and Kashmir in the “garb of pseudo nationalism by trampling” the Constitution.
“GOI continues disempowering people of J&K in garb of pseudo nationalism by trampling the constitution that ought to be upheld. Abrupt dismissal of 11 gov(ernment) employees on flimsy grounds is criminal. All policy decisions vis a vis J&K are taken with sole objective of punishing Kashmiris,” Mehbooba wrote on Twitter.
