The Jammu and Kashmir government has removed a doctor from the post of registrar for "violating" an order that bars its employees from using their social media accounts for any activity which may be "prejudicial" to the state.
The doctor, Amit Kumar, posted as registrar in the Government Medical College (GMC) in Jammu on a contract basis for three years was sacked on Thursday for defying the government order by posting “anti-government” content through his Facebook account, a government official told PTI.
The Indian Express reported that in a Facebook post on March 10, J&K minister for health and medical education Bali Bhagat said he had inaugurated a new lift at the hospital. But Dr Kumar of the department of anaesthesia commented on Bhagat’s Facebook post, pointing out that it was not a new lift.
Dr Kumar told the newspaper that said he had only pointed out that the minister had inaugurated an old lift. “I did not make any comment against the government, its policy or an individual,” he said.
Dr Kumar, however, later deleted the comment.
On the other hand, the college administration, in an order dated March 15, said it had terminated the “engagement of Dr Amit Kumar” as he “used his personal social media account (Facebook) and commented with the intent of provoking readers”.
The government had in December last year barred its employees from using their social media accounts for any "political activity" by amending the conduct rules for them, drawing strong condemnation from different quarters and opposition parties.
“Yes, the registrar has been dismissed for defying the government order. The action was initiated as per rules,” principal, GMC Jammu, Sunanda Raina told PTI.
According to the statutory regulatory order (SRO), no government employee shall engage in any criminal, dishonest, immoral or notoriously disgraceful conduct on social media which may be prejudicial to the state.
The gag order had also echoed in the state assembly during the budget session which ended early last month with opposition parties terming the move as “draconian” and demanding revocation of the order.
