Shah Faesal, who topped the UPSC exams in 2009, has been served with a notice for his tweet over growing rapes in the country.
The Centre’s Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) underlined his tweet and termed the contents as “prima facie in contravention of the extant provision of the All India Service (Conduct Rules) 1968, All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969.”
Mr. Faesal’s tweet referred to by the DoPT reads: “Patriarchy + Population + Illiteracy + Alcohol + Porn + Technology + Anarchy = Rapistan.” He posted it on April 22 in reference to frequent cases of rapes and sexual harassment reported by the media in the country.
Mr. Faesal is on study leave in Harvard University.
On Tuesday, he posted the notice on Twitter saying, “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 change.”
He termed the notice “a case of bureaucratic over-enthusiasm where people who are pushing the files at the top don’t understand the spirit of the times we are living in.”
“The government employees can be hauled for criticism of the government policy, agreed. But in this case if you think rape is part of government policy only then you can take action against me which I believe it isn’t,” he added.
You have reached your limit for free articles this month.
Subscription Benefits Include
Today's Paper
Find mobile-friendly version of articles from the day's newspaper in one easy-to-read list.
Unlimited Access
Enjoy reading as many articles as you wish without any limitations.
Personalised recommendations
A select list of articles that match your interests and tastes.
Faster pages
Move smoothly between articles as our pages load instantly.
Dashboard
A one-stop-shop for seeing the latest updates, and managing your preferences.
Briefing
We brief you on the latest and most important developments, three times a day.
Support Quality Journalism.
*Our Digital Subscription plans do not currently include the e-paper, crossword and print.
A letter from the Editor
Dear subscriber,
Thank you!
Your support for our journalism is invaluable. It’s a support for truth and fairness in journalism. It has helped us keep apace with events and happenings.
The Hindu has always stood for journalism that is in the public interest. At this difficult time, it becomes even more important that we have access to information that has a bearing on our health and well-being, our lives, and livelihoods. As a subscriber, you are not only a beneficiary of our work but also its enabler.
We also reiterate here the promise that our team of reporters, copy editors, fact-checkers, designers, and photographers will deliver quality journalism that stays away from vested interest and political propaganda.
Suresh Nambath
Please Email the Editor