Faesal says he has not criticised govt.
A senior government official said on Wednesday that disciplinary proceedings were initiated against IAS officer Shah Faesal for his tweet on rape culture as it violated the service rules.
“A government servant cannot criticise the government and should suggest remedies,” the official said.
Mr. Faesal defended his post saying he had not criticised government policy. “If rape is part of government policy, then I plead guilty for criticism of the government policy,” he tweeted.
“Twitter is a public platform and whatever he posted was available in the public domain. He has an opportunity to explain himself before the DoPT,” said another official, noting that he could be let off with a warning. National Conference President Omar Abdullah had tweeted on Tuesday that the Department of Personnel and Training was determined to chase Mr. Faesal out of service.
Another official declined to comment on whose complaint disciplinary action was initiated against Mr Faesal.
Mr. Faesal’s tweet that led to the row read: “Patriarchy + Population + Illiteracy + Alcohol + Porn + Technology + Anarchy = Rapistan.”
The Department of Personnel and Training said the tweet was violated the provisions of the All India Service Conduct Rules.
A senior government official said since Twitter was a public platform, anything said on the medium could be construed as an “official line.” An undersecretary posted with the personnel ministry was dismissed from service in January for an objectionable post on Facebook, another official said.
Mr. Faesal, who topped the UPSC exams in 2009, has been served with a notice for his tweet over growing rapes in the country.
Mr. Faesal, a J&K cadre officer is on study leave in Harvard University.
Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) underlined his tweet and termed the contents as “prima facie in contravention of the extant provision of the All India Service (Conduct Rules) 1968, All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969.”
He posted it on April 22 in reference to frequent cases of rapes and sexual harassment reported by the media in the country.
Coming out in Mr. Faesal’s support, Mr. Abdullah said, “Looks like DOPT is determined to chase @shahfaesal out of the civil services. The last line of this page is shocking & unacceptable where they question Faesal’s “integrity & honesty”. How is a sarcastic tweet dishonest? How does it make him corrupt?” Mr. Abdullah said on Twitter.
Responding to another tweet Mr. Abdullah said that officers from Rajasthan and elsewhere have also defied the norms. “You have no problem when officers from Rajasthan & elsewhere defy “set norms of governance & conduct” yet Faesal’s tweet about rape bothers you. Somehow this doesn’t surprise me at all!” he said on Twitter.
An IAS officer from Rajasthan- Sanjay Dixit was recently summoned by Kolkata police for allegedly posting a fake government letter as issued by West Bengal chief Mamata Banerjee that the Eid holiday had been extended for five days in the State. He had deleted the tweet later.
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