An employee of the Kannur International Airport Limited (KIAL) has been fired from service reportedly for criticising the Kerala government and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on social media. Assistant Manager, Fire and Rescue, KL Ramesh, has been dismissed from service based on a complaint that he insulted the Chief Minister on social media. According to reports, Ramesh had put up a Facebook post in which he slammed the state government in connection with a Supreme Court verdict on the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram.
A complaint was filed against Ramesh, stating that Ramesh criticised the CM, who is also the chairman of KIAL, on social media, which was a violation of disciplinary norms. The Managing Director of KIAL ordered an enquiry based on the complaint and a show cause notice was issued to the employee on the post he had put up on November 20. Though Ramesh had reportedly removed the post and apologised, an internal committee had found it unconvincing and proceeded with his termination.
According to a report in The New Indian Express, Ramesh said that the decision was taken over his stand against KIAL authorities over alleged irregularities in the management of the airport. Ramesh had also formed an independent employees union, he said. The Managing Director of KIAL, V Thulasidas, was not available for comment. Ramesh was fired a few days ago.
The Supreme Court in July this year upheld the rights of the Travancore royal family over the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple , which is considered one of the richest temples in the world. The SC had reversed a 2011 order by the Kerala High Court, which said that the family’s rights over the temple ceased in 1991 with the death of Travancore’s last ruler, Sree Chithira Thirunal.