New Delhi, July 18: He might have been feeling under siege from people who have denounced him for breaking service rules when he tweeted about the rampant rape culture in South Asia, but in the past few days Shah Faesal might be feeling a little less tormented. After the National Conference leader Omar Abdullah’s support, it is the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi now who has come out in support of Faesal.
Gandhi in a letter to Faesal has effusively praised him for what he feels was a courageous decision to highlight the issues that plague India. In the letter the junior Gandhi regretted that it is extremely troubling that the government has singled Faesal out for voicing his opinion.
“I write to you in solidarity against the Jammu and Kashmir government’s decision to initiate an inquiry for expressing your opinion on the rising incidents of rapes in India,” reads the letter written by Gandhi. “Our founders envisioned freedom of expression to be a fundamental right for every citizen. This freedom not only allows a nation to introspect on pressing social problems, but also helps us find ways to address them. I feel it is extremely troubling that the government has singled you out for voicing your opinions,” it states.
It further adds, “You deserve to be appreciated for identifying and courageously highlighting the issues that plague India we stand by you in letter and spirit.”
The government in New Delhi had asked the Jammu and Kashmir government to initiate a departmental action against Faesal because of his tweet criticising the rape culture.
The order from the state government, which Faesal had posted on Twitter, holds him responsible for violating the All India Services (conduct rules) rules. It says “allegedly failed to maintain absolute honesty and integrity in discharge of your official duty and thus acted in a manner unbecoming of a public servant”.
“Love letter from my boss for my sarcastic tweet against rape-culture in South Asia. The Irony here is that service rules with a colonial spirit are invoked in a democratic India to stifle the freedom of conscience. I’m sharing this to underscore the need for a rule”. Faesal wrote.
The former Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah tweeted, “Looks like DOPT is determined to chase @shahfaesal out of the civil services. The last line of this page is shocking & unacceptable where they question Faesal’s “integrity & honesty”. How is a sarcastic tweet dishonest? How does it make him corrupt”?
