A lecturer from Malleshwaram government pre-university college in Bengaluru, Karnataka has received a notice for ridiculing the Chandrayaan-3 mission on social media platforms.

Hulikunte Murthy, a Kannada lecturer from a PU college was served notice by the department of PU education for alleging that the Chandrayaan-3 mission would be a failure.

Murthy who is a Dalit rights activist and has posted several opinionated posts on social media in the past wrote that the mission would end in a “Tirupati nama”. It may be recollected that a group of scientists from the Indian Space Research Organisation visited Tirupati Tirumala temple with a miniature version of Chandrayaan to offer prayers.

Soon after he shared the post on Facebook, it went viral, drawing severe criticism from social media users.

Taking note of his post, former education minister S Suresh Kumar wrote a letter to the minister of school education and literacy, Madhu Bangarappa seeking action against him and questioning the impact that such educators would have on students.

Murthy later claimed that he was threatened by some of the users inappropriately for his post and that he had filed a complaint against 30 people who intimidated him and his wife.

While he claimed that the post was not uploaded on Twitter, his Facebook account has been blocked for viewing currently.

The Karnataka Civil Service (Conduct) Rules of 1966 have it that “No Government Servant shall, in any radio broadcast or in any document published in his own name or anonymously, pseudonymously or in the name of any other person in any communication to the Press or in any public utterance, make any statement of fact or opinion.”

A government employee is not allowed to make statements which have an effect of an adverse criticism of any current or recent policy or action of the Government of Karnataka, Central Government, or any other State Government, according to the rules.

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