KOCHI: Assistant section officer of MG University A. P. Anil Kumar suspended for a controversial Facebook post on Shantivanam agitation replied to the memo on Monday.
MGU vice-chancellor Prof Sabu Thomas, who suspended him, said he would examine his reply and then decide on the future course of action.
“I may constitute a committee to look into the merits of his reply and recommend action. I am yet to take a final call,” he told DC. Mr Kumar was suspended following a complaint by S. Sharma MLA to the Assembly Speaker for referring his name adversely. Electric-ity minister M. M. Mani too was referred to in the post negatively.
The Speaker sent the complaint to the higher education department, which in turn forwarded it to the VC. The action was for violating the code of conduct for government employees, which applies to university employees.
Mr Kumar is understood to have given a reply to the memo that he has made an expression as per the freedom of expression and has not breached the code of conduct nor defamed any one. He said that he argued only for protecting the valuable assets in the environment. He added that if his post had caused any hurt to Mr Mani and Mr Sarma, he was sorry for that.
Meanwhile, three employees associations in the university are planning to go on an indefinite strike if Mr Kumar is not taken back soon. They are MGU Employees Organisation belonging to CPI, MGU Employees Union affiliated to the Congress and BJP’s MGU Employees Sangh.
There are allegations that the move to suspend Mr Kumar was taken for denying him a promotion as section officer which is due in July. A section of employees alleges the hand of a former employee who is now with the office of the higher education minister behind it.
