Bank employee suspended for circulating Jagan’s ‘Paracetamol’ comments

In yet another classic case of misuse of power, the Andhra Pradesh government on Friday suspended a government bank employee.

Sources said Madhavi, assistant general manager of Guntur District Cooperative Central Bank Ltd, was suspended for posting the widely circulated Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy’s comments that popping Paracetamol and spraying bleaching powder can cure corona virus.

It is too well-known that Jagan took Corona in a casual manner and prescribed Paracetamol and bleaching powder to counter Covid-19. Jagan’s comments drew wide-spread criticism from the Opposition parties and even caught the attention of the international media. However, in brazen abuse of power, the Andhra Pradesh government in a swift move had ordered the CID to probe the social media accounts of the bank employee.

The CID immediately swung into action and checked the bank employee’s Facebook account and her Whatsapp. After conducting a thorough analysis, the CID submitted a report to the Jagan government. Subsequently, the Andhra Pradesh government suspended the bank employee. However, it is learnt that the bank employee received Jagan’s ‘Paracetamol’, bleaching powder comments in her Whatsapp group. Her children apparently had forwarded the message and also posted the same on Madhavi’s facebook account.

But why did the state government institute CID to probe against the bank employee when ideally the issue should have been investigated by the cyber wing of the Andhra Pradesh police? Generally, the state governments order CID probe to deal with serious crimes like murder, robberies, burglaries, sexual offences like rape, assault, communal riots, circulation of counterfiet currency, dacoities and financial swindling.

This is not the first instance when the AP government had ordered a CID probe. The CID has been repeatedly misused by the ruling YSRCP, which is trying to use the probe agency to arm-twist people who raise voices of dissent against the government.

Earlier, the Andhra Pradesh CID had registered a case against 66-year-old P Ranganayakamma for allegedly putting up objectionable comments on social media pertaining to the Vizag gas leak and the government’s response to the incident. In her social media account, Ranganayakamma had raised 20 questions such as why there were no arrests in Vizag gas leak and why the government allowed the leftover styrene to be sent back to South Korea. Subsequently, a case under Sections of 505 (2) (making statements that create or promote enmity),153 (A) (indulging in wanton vilification), 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 120-B r/w 34 (criminal conspiracy) and also under Section 67 of IT Act, 2008 was registered against the Ranganayakamma.

In the past, the Andhra Pradesh government had suspended Dr Sudhakar Rao who served as civil surgeon at the Narsipatnam government hospital and Nagari municipal commissioner K Venkatrami Reddy for his “adverse comments” on the government with regard to corona virus crisis. Both Dr Sudhakar Rao and Venkatrami Reddy in their respective videos raised voices of dissent over shortage of medical equipment as masks, gloves and necessary gear to fight Covid-19. Dr Sudhakar Rao was arrested, dragged on the streets, his two hands tied to a rope and beaten by a constable. He is currently languishing in the Government Mental Hospital in Vizag for the last three weeks and seeking justice in the High Court which had ordered a CBI probe. Sadly, the CBI probing the case had booked cases against Dr Sudhakar Rao after taking the statement of the police who alleged that the doctor had obstructed them from discharging their duty.