Government official suspended for sharing Facebook post

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government on Saturday suspended one more secretariat employee for sharing a social media post criticizing chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Facebook. O P Ashok Kumar, a binder with law department, who is currently working with official language commission, was placed under suspension by law secretary Aravinda Babu P K.
The suspension order said the action had been initiated based on a note by law minister A K Balan dated June 1, seeking action against Kumar.
It is the second suspension in the law department of the government secretariat for criticizing the CM in 10 days. On June 6, deputy secretary M S Mohanachandran was placed under suspension for publishing a leaflet criticizing Vijayan on the day of announcement of the Lok Sabha poll result. The leaflet was titled, “Get out Vijayan, People say,” and the law secretary adjudged that publishing it as a gross violation of service and conduct rules.
At least 12 state government employees and one central government employee are facing criminal defamation charges while 30 others had to face disciplinary action.