Circular On Govt Employees’ Character Verification Flagrant Infringement Of Fundamental Rights: PC

Srinagar:Peoples Conference Friday termed the recently issued government directive pertaining to the character verification and antecedents of its employees yet another diktat aimed at trampling upon the democratic rights of the people and denying them and throwing the constitutional safeguards to the wind.

PC spokesperson Adnan Ashraf Mir in a statement said that the circular issued on September 16, this year, is nasty and objectionable, issued in a mad rush to hound the employee fraternity of Jammu and Kashmir. In a legal jurisprudence, said the spokesperson, a person is liable and responsible only for his own sins and actions.

“One cannot be held responsible for someone else’s actions unless he is complicit, conniving or conspiring with him. Government Order No. 957 dated 16:09:2021 is a flagrant infringement of Fundamental Rights of citizens and a violation of Right to Freedom guaranteed by Article 20 of the Indian Constitution. One can understand a person’s involvement in an illegal act or his association or sympathy with persons aiding and abetting commission of any illegal act but how can the Government justify clause (iii), (iv) and (v) which make a person liable for any act committed by his relative or acquaintance even though he might not be knowing what his relative is doing. How can his character come under blemish if one of his relatives or acquaintances do not posses acceptable behaviour or character?,” Mir asked.

He termed the Order not only unjust, illegal and unfair but also unconstitutional, unethical and reprehensible.

He added that the present administration must refrain from such blatant misuse of power and ruthless erosion of democratic values. He urged the government to rollback the order and not to cause an unnecessary stir within the administrative set up of Jammu and Kashmir. (KNO)