The General Administration Department (GAD) in Jammu and Kashmir, India, has issued termination orders for four government employees on allegations of posing a threat to national security. The officials dismissed include Constables Abdul Rehman Dar and Ghulam Rasool Bhat, teacher Shabir Ahmad, and Anayatullah Shah Pirzada, an assistant lineman in the state’s Jal Shakti Department. The orders were authorized by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha under Article 311(2)(c) of the Constitution of India, which permits termination of employment without an inquiry for reasons of national security.
The administration claims that the dismissed employees were involved in supplying terrorists with ammunition, maintaining their weapons, inciting violent protests to create instability in Jammu and Kashmir, and aiding terrorist infiltration. This decision has sparked criticism from political parties. Yusuf Tarigami, spokesman for the PAGD (a political alliance advocating for more regional autonomy) and general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), remarked that dismissing employees without granting them a chance to be heard is unfair and a travesty of justice. He reiterated the need for creating employment opportunities rather than removing livelihoods.
This termination brings the total number of employees dismissed under Article 311(2)(c) during the tenure of Lt. Governor Sinha to 61. For further details, visit JURIST.