Srinagar, April 22: The Jammu and Kashmir administration’s latest order to constitute a Special Task Force to dismiss or take other punitive action against the government employees allegedly found in “anti-national” activities without holding any inquiry is arbitrary, draconian and is against the interests of the lakhs of employees working in the region, CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said on Thursday.

“There are already enough provisions in the law to take action against those employees, who are found violating service rules and there was no need to issue new orders on the account,” Tarigami said in a statement.

He said the latest order can serve as a tool to the government and bureaucrats to suppress their subordinates.

“A sword of uncertainty has been kept on the heads of employees which can also be exploited by their superiors,” he said, adding, “dismissing an employee or taking punitive action against him without holding any inquiry is against the principles of justice and basic rights.”

An employee is first a citizen and has all the constitutional rights, he said. “The need of the hour is to safeguard these constitutional rights”

He said such measures deepen the anger and discontentment among the ranks of employees. “It seems this order has not been given a thought before passing and needs to be reviewed.”