Everyone innocent till proven guilty: CM on sacking of employees

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday questioned arbitrary dismissal of government employees for their alleged terror links by the Lieutenant Governor saying that the law says that “every accused person is innocent until proven guilty” in the court.

Lt Governor Manoj Sinha invoked Article 311 (2) (c) of the Constitution to terminate the services of the three employees on Saturday after investigation by law enforcement and intelligence agencies accused them of terror links.

So far, over 70 government employees have been dismissed on the charges of terror links over the past few years.

“If there is a proof against them (dismissed employees) and they have been given an opportunity to clear the allegations but failed… if such steps are taken without hearing them, the law says that every person accused of any crime is considered innocent until proven guilty,” Abdullah told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.

He was reacting to a question on the latest dismissal of the government employees accused of terror links by the Lt Governor and said everyone is getting an opportunity to speak in the court. “There should be a court hearing and if they fail to prove their innocence, take whatever action they want,” the Chief Minister said.

In a post on X, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said, “Arbitrary and summary dismissals of government employees has become a daily occurrence since 2019. What is perhaps most surprising and puzzling is that it continues unabated despite an elected government in power that had promised to put an end to such practices once in office.”

Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq asked if the government wanted to remove all Kashmiris from government jobs. “The termination of three more state employees in such authoritarian manner is highly condemnable,” the Mirwaiz said in a post on X.

People's Conference chief and Handwara MLA Sajad Lone wrote on X: “More than the termination it is disdain and contempt of Delhi towards Kashmiris, that's revealed through these actions.”