Two Bihar officials suspended for anti-govt postings on Facebook

Arun Narayan and Musafir Baitha, bureaucrats of Bihar legislative council have been suspended for questioning the 'sushashan' (good governance) of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on social networking site Facebook. Narayan and Baitha never imagined that their views on Facebook would put them in trouble.

The two bureaucrats have been suspended by legislative council chairman Tarakant Jha, who is senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader. Jha refused to say anything on the issue but admitted that Narayan and Baitha were suspended for writing against the government on Facebook.

According to top officials of the council, the two were charged of expressing their anger against Kumar's government on the social networking sites. They have reportedly made strong remarks against the government despite being part of the government.

However, the officials of the council were reluctant to comment on the suspension.

Narayan is also alleged to have been involved in illegal withdrawal of money from the account of former council chairman, professor Arun Kumar. However, Narayan has denied it.

"It is shocking that I and Musafir (Baitha) were suspended for using our fundamental right to express views on social and political life on Facebook," said Narayan, who is also a critic of Hindi in the state. 

Narayan, an OBC, said that his only crime was that he expressed his views on Facebook, which angered the state 
government. Baitha, a Mahadalit, known for his hard hitting poetry and writing in Hindi, said that he was made a victim for his views on the functioning of the government led by Kumar.

Narayan's views against Janata Dal-United MLC Prem Kumar Mani's dismissal from the party has allegedly exposed the double face of Kumar's government.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has, however, refused to comment on this issue.

The suspension of Narayan and Baitha for posting of their views on Facebook has raised many eyebrows in the intellectual circles in Bihar.