New Delhi, Oct 29 — The Samajwadi Party (SP) and CPI-M on Thursday opposed the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government's move to declare individuals associated with organisations advocating violent changes to the existing social system, as ineligible for appointment to government jobs, calling it an "attack" of freedom of expression.
Under the revised guidelines, participation in protests or activities aimed at changing the existing system through violence could render candidates ineligible for government employment.
However, the Uttar Pradesh government has clarified that no candidate will be disqualified solely on the basis of their political ideology.
Speaking to IANS, SP MP Harendra Singh Malik requested the Uttar Pradesh government to clarify two things.
"First, how many government jobs have they provided so far? Second, will they ensure that young people who do not participate in protests are given jobs? Let them guarantee that! We will manage with elderly people at protests," he said.
Malik accused the state government of "strangling" the people and "murdering" democracy.
"Freedom of expression is our constitutional right, and they are taking that away too, forcing us to remain mere spectators," he said.
Echoing similar view, SP MP Ramashankar Rajbhar called the Yogi Adityanath government as "dictatorial".
"This dictatorial government is not ready to listen to dissent. What is the connection between a job and a protest? If an injustice is done to someone who is already employed, can they not protest? If someone has participated in a protest at some point, does that mean they cannot get a job? Will people be removed from jobs for protesting, or will advertisements state that those who have participated in protests will not be given jobs?" he asked, while terming the order as "Tughlaqi decree".
The SP leader also told IANS, "For 12 years in Delhi and nine years in Uttar Pradesh, whenever people have taken to the streets, this government has adopted a dictatorial approach. But this will not work. The government is not providing jobs and is looking for various excuses to avoid doing so."
While underlining that 'freedom of expression' is a fundamental right granted by the Constitution, CPI-M leader Brinda Karat said: "If I am a student, if I am a young woman protesting for the rights of women, if I am protesting against the government's wrong policies, then I will not get my character certificate. Which law can change this?"
"This is unconstitutional because it is an attack on the fundamental rights, on the democratic right to dissent," she claimed.
However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) backed the Uttar Pradesh government's directive, citing importance of background verification of candidates.
BJP Rajya Sabha MP Brij Lal said: "I wholeheartedly welcome the order issued by the Uttar Pradesh government. I have also served as an IPS officer. In every government job, whether it is for a peon or an IPS officer, character verification is mandatory. You can get a government job only after your character certificate has been verified, even if you are otherwise fully qualified for the position."
"Those people can't be employed who are found to have indulged in adverse or criminal acts and even have cases registered against them," he told IANS.