Two IAS officers who have been at the center of two recent controversies—Kerala Industries and Commerce Director K Gopalakrishnan and Agriculture Department Special Secretary N Prasanth—were suspended by the Kerala government on Monday.
This month, Gopalakrishnan, an officer from the 2013 batch, has been involved in a dispute after the creation of the "Mallu Hindu Officers" WhatsApp group. Over the past three days, Prasanth, a 2017-batch official, has stirred up controversy by posting numerous disparaging remarks about Additional Chief Secretary A Jayathilak, another IAS officer, on social media.
Chief Secretary Sarada Muraleedharan's reports led Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to decide to suspend the two. Revenue Minister K Rajan had declared earlier in the day that the government would "
On October 30, the "Mallu Hindu Officers" group was established, and prominent IAS officers who identified as Hindu joined it. Several officials pointed out the inappropriateness of such a group, and it was removed within hours of its formation. Gopalakrishnan complained to the police a few days later, saying that the group was formed after his phone was compromised and that multiple other organizations, including "Mallu Muslim Officers," had also been formed.
But according to the decision suspending Gopalakrishnan, a police probe found "no evidence indicating that the device was hacked," contrary to what he had alleged. According to the decision, "it is also revealed that the officer (Gopalakrishnan) himself performed multiple factory resets on the mobile phone before submitting his phones for forensic examination."
According to the order, the government believes that the WhatsApp group "was intended to break the solidarity among the All India Services cadres in the state, sow disunity, and foment division." Additionally, it was initially discovered to be fostering communal forms and alignments among the state's All India Services cadres.
Following several posts on social media criticizing Additional Chief Secretary A Jayathilak, whom he referred to as a “special reporter” for a Malayalam daily that had released a report that Prasanth disagreed with, Prasanth was suspended.
The Malayalam daily Mathrubhumi reported on Friday that Jayathilak, an IAS officer from the 1991 batch, had reported to the Chief Minister about "files missing" at UNNATHI, a state government agency for streamlining SC/ST welfare schemes, while Prasanth was the special secretary in the SC/ST Department. This story appeared to be the direct cause of Prasanth's posts.
"Mathrubhumi, which is unfamiliar with officials who go to the field, has carried news against me," alleged 2007-batch officer Prasanth on Facebook later. The newspaper did not look for my side, as usual. I am compelled to disclose to the public some information regarding Dr. Jayathilak IAS, the Mathrubhumi special reporter, who writes reports critical of me and distributes them to the newspaper.
By publishing a news item on a preliminary investigation into possible anomalies during Jayathilak's tenure as the chairman of the Spices Board, Prasanth once again spoke out against the politician on Sunday.
But according to the decision suspending Gopalakrishnan, a police probe found "no evidence indicating that the device was hacked," contrary to what he had alleged. According to the decision, "it is also revealed that the officer (Gopalakrishnan) himself performed multiple factory resets on the mobile phone before submitting his phones for forensic examination."
According to the order, the government believes that the WhatsApp group "was intended to break the solidarity among the All India Services cadres in the state, sow disunity, and foment division." Additionally, it was initially discovered to be fostering communal forms and alignments among the state's All India Services cadres.
Following several posts on social media criticizing Additional Chief Secretary A Jayathilak, whom he referred to as a “special reporter” for a Malayalam daily that had released a report that Prasanth disagreed with, Prasanth was suspended.
The Malayalam daily Mathrubhumi reported on Friday that Jayathilak, an IAS officer from the 1991 batch, had reported to the Chief Minister about "files missing" at UNNATHI, a state government agency for streamlining SC/ST welfare schemes, while Prasanth was the special secretary in the SC/ST Department. This story appeared to be the direct cause of Prasanth's posts.
"Mathrubhumi, which is unfamiliar with officials who go to the field, has carried news against me," alleged 2007-batch officer Prasanth on Facebook later. The newspaper did not look for my side, as usual. I am compelled to disclose to the public some information regarding Dr. Jayathilak IAS, the Mathrubhumi special reporter, who writes reports critical of me and distributes them to the newspaper.
By publishing a news item on a preliminary investigation into possible anomalies during Jayathilak's tenure as the chairman of the Spices Board, Prasanth once again spoke out against the politician on Sunday.
His remarks "amount to grave indiscipline and that such remarks undermine the public image of the administrative machinery in the state," according to Prasanth's suspension order. On the surface, the comments may also cause division and disenchantment inside the state's Indian Administrative Service, which could have an impact on public service. The comments were deemed "unbecoming" of an IAS officer.
In response to his suspension, Prasanth claimed that no explanation was requested from him. "The government has not come under my criticism. The purpose of publishing the false report against me in Mathrubhumi was merely to deflect attention. He said that it was the result of a conspiracy.
When Gopalakrishnan was suspended, he did not respond.
In response to his suspension, Prasanth claimed that no explanation was requested from him. "The government has not come under my criticism. The purpose of publishing the false report against me in Mathrubhumi was merely to deflect attention. He said that it was the result of a conspiracy.
When Gopalakrishnan was suspended, he did not respond.
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