J&K lieutenant governor dismisses 2 more government employees for alleged ‘anti-national activities’

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday terminated the services of two more government employees for their “deep involvement in anti-national activities”.

This takes the number of such terminations to 80, according to The Indian Express.

The lieutenant governor’s office said that Basharat Ahmad Mir, an assistant wireless operator with the Jammu and Kashmir Police, and Ishtiyak Ahmad Malik, a senior assistant in the Union territory’s roads and buildings department, had been dismissed under Article 311 of the Constitution.

This provision protects civil servants from arbitrary dismissal but allows exceptions on the grounds of national security.

Mir, a resident of Srinagar, was “under intelligence radar on the basis of highly credible inputs from agencies that he was in continuous touch with Pakistan intelligence operatives”, the lieutenant governor’s office alleged in a press release.

Mir was “sharing critical and vital information to the adversary about security installations and deployment with the enemies”, it claimed, adding that he had access to “vital information” about national security as he was a trained police officer.

“His actions posed a significant threat to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India having potential to comprise broader national security interest of India,” the lieutenant governor’s office said.

On the other hand, Malik, who is from Anantnag district, was allegedly listed as an active member...

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