Manoj Sinha, the lieutenant governor of Jammu and Kashmir, said on Sunday that the government will not be hesitant to take necessary legal action against individuals who engage in terrorist activities since the Constitution also permits such actions.
Speaking to reporters, Sinha said that the country’s Constitution empowered law enforcement to take severe measures against individuals who “enjoyed government jobs as well through illegal means” and presented a danger to national integrity by supporting terrorism and its ecosystem.
“Our Constitution specifies that individuals who threaten the integrity and sovereignty of the state or the country may be brought to justice…Our administration prioritizes taking legal action against people who are associated with terrorism and have illegally secured government employment, he added.
The Constitution’s article 311—which addresses the firing, demoting, or lowering of rank of civil officials in the Union or state governments—is noteworthy.
The LG’s announcement comes a day after Sajad Bazaz, the top manager of J-K Bank, was fired on allegations that he had previously backed terrorism and its ecosystem.
Mehbooba Mufti, the head of the PDP, has already criticized the Jammu and Kashmir government for “selectively terminating Kashmiri employees” from employment by designating them as “terrorist sympathizers.”
“Selectively firing Kashmiri workers by falsely accusing them of supporting terrorism and siding with the ISI has become commonplace. With the government serving as judge and jury, the accused is not given the opportunity to demonstrate his innocence. In a post on X, Mufti said that the purpose of the hooliganism was to intimidate the Kashmiris into surrender.