In the past, other officials have been pulled up for the same. "Faesal has been asked to give an explanation for his tweets since he is a repeat offender," said an official.
Shah Faesal, the IAS officer from Jammu and Kashmir who has been pulled up for his 'Rapistan' tweet, is not the only official to face disciplinary action for criticising the government on social media, say sources.
In the past, other officials have been pulled up for the same. "Faesal has been asked to give an explanation for his tweets since he is a repeat offender," said an official.
The Centre has sought a report from J&K government on Faesal's 'rapistan' tweet, and the state government has been asked by the Department of Personnel and Training to share details of the case.
In a notice to Faesal, the General Administration Department of J&K which is under the Governor's rule, said, "You have allegedly failed to maintain absolute honesty and integrity in the discharge of official duty and thus acted in a manner unbecoming of a public servant."
The 2010-batch IAS officer is currently a Mason Fellow at Harvard University in USA and had made his controversial tweet made on April 22.
"Population +patriarchy +illiteracy +alcohol +porn +technology +anarchy = rapistan(sic)," he had said. The context was the rape of an eight-year-old girl in the state.
"Love letter from my boss for my sarcastic tweet against rape-culture in south Asia," he tweeted after receiving the notice, adding, "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 change."
He is not the only official to face action for such offence, government officials say.
There have been cases in the past where officials have been pulled up for putting their views in social media, considered a public platform.
Officials said while there are no clear guidelines on expressing views on social media, it is a public platform and can attract disciplinary action under Service Rules.
The Service Rules says that no officer, in any radio broadcast or communication over any public media, will make comments or write anything that has the effect of an adverse criticism of any government policy or action of the Central Government or a State Government. Under the guidelines, action can be initiated if the views impact relations between the Central Government and any State Government or foreign state.
Faesal defended the post saying he had not criticised government policy. "If rape is part of government policy, then I plead guilty for criticism of government policy," he tweeted.
Faesal became the first to top the civil services exam in Jammu and Kashmir in 2010.
National Conference leader Omar Abdullah came out in support of Faesal on the same social media platform, saying, "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? (sic)"
What Rules Say
The Service Rules says that no officer, in any radio broadcast or communication over any public media, will make comments or write anything that has the effect of an adverse criticism of any govt policy or action of the Centre or a State govt.
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