Srinagar: A government employees’ association in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir has broken its silence, urging the administration of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to review the dismissal of over 70 employees by the previous Lt Governor’s regime since 2021.

According to Kashmir Media Service, these dismissals took place after the region’s special status was revoked in August 2019, leading to its reorganization into two union territories. The Lt Governor’s administration leveraged Article 311(2)(c) of the Indian Constitution, which permits employee terminations without a formal inquiry, citing reasons of state security.

Aijaz Khan, president of the Employees Joint Consultative Committee (EJCC), called for justice at a recent press conference. “These terminated employees were not given a chance to defend themselves. We urge the Chief Minister to reinstate them on priority,” Khan asserted.

The terminations have affected 74 government employees since 2021, including individuals from various sectors and regions within the union territory—67 from the Kashmir Valley and seven from the Jammu region, encompassing three women. Among the dismissed were two teachers and a civil servant married to a former commander of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF).