In what appears to be another tactic employed by the Modi-led Indian regime to dismiss Kashmiri government employees under various pretexts, New Delhi has issued a fresh warning against using social media to criticize its policies and actions.
According to Kashmir Media Service, a circular issued by the regime has prohibited government employees from posting, tweeting, or sharing content critical of government policy or action.
Participation in discussions or criticisms of government policies or actions on social media pages, communities, or microblogs has also been banned.
Of note, subscribing to pages, communities, or Twitter handles deemed “political, anti-secular, or communal in nature” has been forbidden by the BJP government, signaling a departure from secular values towards Hindutva.
Instead, employees have been instructed to defend and explain government policies on social media. Furthermore, the circular prohibits employees from posting grievances online.
“Violation of these guidelines will be considered misconduct and may invite disciplinary action,” the circular warned.
The circular has sparked concerns among free speech advocates, who argue that it infringes on government employees’ right to express opinions on matters of public interest. They contend that the circular is another tool aimed at terminating local employees from service under the guise of social media criticism, with interpretation left to the Indian government and its compliant judiciary.—KMS
