Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala — In a surprising move, the Pinarayi Vijayan government has suspended two Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, sparking a heated debate within political circles in Kerala. The suspensions stem from disciplinary actions related to separate incidents involving professional misconduct. K. Gopalakrishnan, a 2013 batch IAS officer and the Director of the Board of Industries and Commerce, has come under fire for allegedly creating a WhatsApp group titled 'Mallu Hindu Officers.' Following backlash over the group, Gopalakrishnan initially claimed that his phone had been hacked. However, a forensic investigation found no evidence of hacking, revealing that the phone had been formatted shortly after the controversy emerged.
This led to the state government taking decisive action against him. On the other hand, N. Prashant, a 2007 batch IAS officer and former District Collector of Kozhikode, faced suspension for his aggressive public remarks directed at senior officials, particularly Additional Chief Secretary A. Jayatilak. Through a Facebook post, Prashant accused Jayatilak of disseminating false information about him, labeling him a 'psychopath' and alleging that he was trying to tarnish Prashant's reputation. Adding to the controversy, it has been reported that several important files went missing during Prashant's tenure as the executive officer of Unnati, a government initiative aimed at supporting Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
These allegations further fueled discussions surrounding the suspensions. In response to his suspension, Prashant expressed his disbelief in a statement to the media, asserting, "This is a new experience for me. Criticizing the government or its policies is wrong, and you can be prosecuted for it. I don't think anyone should think that I have done anything wrong. I criticized some people and their wrong policies, manipulation of reports." As discussions surrounding the suspensions continue, the Kerala government remains tight-lipped about the specific reasons for the disciplinary actions. The situation highlights the growing tensions within the state's administrative framework and raises questions about accountability and transparency among public officials.
