AIADMK, BJP react on officer's suspension

Days after a senior Puducherry Civil Service officer was suspended and booked under the Information Technology Act for allegedly posting an obscene video clip in a Whatsapp group of government officials, the opposition AIADMK today alleged that there were procedural irregularities in taking action against the officer.
AIADMK legislature wing leader A Anbalagan wanted to know whether the Lt Governor could initiate such action against officers on her own.
Bedi, the appointing authority of PCS officers in the Union Territory, had on December 30 issued the order suspending Registrar of Cooperative Societies A S Sivakumar with immediate effect.
"Several issues have cropped up now in the wake of the suspension and subsequent booking of the officer under the I-T Act," he told reporters here.

Anbalagan wanted the Home Ministry to intervene and send a team to Puducherry for an on-the- spot assessment of the situation.
He said the Centre should sack the Narayanasamy-led Congress government here or keep it in suspended animation for "the pell-mell in administration and frequent tussle with Lt Governorso that there could be smooth governance for a while pending settlement of the issue relating to the PCS officer."

Police had registered a case against the officer under IT Act Section 67-A (punishment for publishing in electronic form, any material which is lascivious or appeals to the prurient interest).
Meanwhile, the BJP's Puducherry unit has defended the action taken by Bedi against the officer.

Unit president V Saminathan said the Lt Governor had taken action keeping with provisions of the central civil service rules governing officials here.
In a statement, Saminathan wanted to know "how the functioning of a honest incumbent of the gubernatorial post can be questioned and criticised by functionaries of the ruling Congress.