A Kashmiri lecturer has been suspended from the Union Territory’s education department days after he argued in the Supreme Court against the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

School Education Department Principal Secretary Alok Kumar in an order described Zahoor Ahmad Bhat, a senior lecturer of political science, as a “delinquent officer”, PTI reported.

The order claimed that he had violated provisions of Jammu and Kashmir Civil Service Regulations, Jammu and Kashmir Government Employees Conduct Rules as well as Jammu and Kashmir Leave Rules.

Subah Mehta, joint director of the School Education Department, has been asked to investigate Bhat’s “conduct”.

Bhat, who is an advocate, appeared in the Supreme Court on Wednesday and represented himself for six minutes, The Hindu reported.

He told a five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud that the Centre’s move to bifurcate Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories in 2019 was against cooperative federalism and in violation of the Constitution.

“I teach Indian politics in J&K,” he added. “It is... very difficult for me to teach since 2019 about this beautiful Constitution. When students ask if we are a democracy after 2019, it is difficult to answer.”