Lecturer defends Bapu, faces wrath

Jaipur: Objecting to a WhatsApp post denigrating Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi and praising Nathuram Godse cost a college lecturer dearly. Not only he had to endure frequent transfers from Bharatpur to Kotara in Udaipur, and later to Banswara, a distance of 600 km, he was allegedly put on awaiting posting order (APO) at the instance of a minister in violation of the Rajasthan Civil Services Appellate Tribunal.
The Rajasthan High Court on Wednesday issued notices to the principal secretary higher education, commissioner college education, and director college education.
Sanjay Sharma, the petitioner's counsel said that the victim Firoj Akhtar, a lecturer was posted in Rameshwari Devi Govt PG College, Bharatpur. During this period he was a member of a group of college lecturers on WhatsApp. On the group, one of the members allegedly posted a comment against Mahatma Gandhi and hailed Nathuram Godse as a hero, to which he objected. What followed was a spate of transfers.
Though he obtained a stay on his transfer from the Rajasthan Civil Appellate Tribunal, the department in violation of the order put him on awaiting posting orders and later transferred him to Kushalgarh in Banswara .
An RTI query on the reason for the petitioner being put on APO from commissioner college education said he was put under APO on the directions of the Rajasthan minister for education higher, technical, Sanskrit Education.