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Omar, Tarigami criticise govt over sacking of doc

KT NEWS SERVICE. Dated: 3/20/2018 12:26:32 PM

‘Ministers can protest to defend rape accused'

SRINAGAR, Mar 19: Criticising PDP-BJP government in the state over sacking of a doctor over his Facebook post, National Conference working president Omar Abdullah today said “ministers can protest to defend rape and murder accused but a doctor can’t point out the truth”.
Omar’s reaction came in the wake of government order in which a doctor Amit Kumar, who was working as an anesthesiologist at the Government Medical College Jammu, was sacked for “criticising” the government on Facebook.
Taking to social networking website, Twitter, Omar wrote: “Ministers can protest to defend rape/murder accused but a doctor can’t point out the truth. @MehboobaMufti dictatorial Govt in J&K - J&K doctor faces action for ‘correcting’ minister on Facebook”.
In another tweet, Omar said: “All the doctor did was point out that the lift the health minister claimed to have inaugurated was actually an old lift & for that he was removed from his post of Registrar”.
An order under SRO 525, barring a government employee from posting on social media websites anything “prejudicial to the government”, was issued last December.
Meanwhile, Senior CPI (M) leader and MLA Kulgam Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami Monday termed the sacking of a doctor in Jammu on the charges of criticizing the government on Facebook against the fundamental rights of a citizen.
The decision to sack a medico for highlighting some issues in the health department is arbitrary. From day one since this Government issued social media diktat under SRO-525, we have been saying it is insult to employees and depicts the regressive mindset of the government. An employee enjoys freedom and speech and expression like any other citizen.
He demanded that the medico should be reinstated immediately.