Synopsis
In Thiruvananthapuram, IAS officer Divya S. Iyer faced backlash from her husband K.S. Sabarinath, a Congress leader, after she praised K.K. Ragesh, the private secretary to CM Pinarayi Vijayan, on social media. This incident has sparked a political discussion about the appropriateness of such endorsements.Key Takeaways
- Divya S. Iyer is the IAS officer managing Vizhinjam Port.
- K.S. Sabarinath criticized her for praising a political figure.
- K.K. Ragesh is the private secretary to the Chief Minister.
- The situation has raised questions about political appropriateness.
- Social media backlash followed Iyer's praise.
Thiruvananthapuram, April 16 (NationPress) The senior IAS officer and Managing Director of Vizhinjam Port, Divya S. Iyer, faced criticism from her husband, former two-time Congress legislator K.S. Sabarinath, on Wednesday for her commendation of CPI(M) leader K.K. Ragesh, who serves as the private secretary to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Ragesh was recently appointed as the district secretary for the party in Kannur.
Following Ragesh's new appointment, Iyer shared her thoughts on her social media platform, Instagram, stating, “I have learned invaluable lessons from Ragesh over the past three years. He is an extremely dedicated individual. Thank you for consistently treating us with the highest regard — a quality that seems to be diminishing in political spheres worldwide.”
Nevertheless, Sabarinath, who currently holds the position of vice president within the Youth Congress, expressed his discontent regarding her remarks, asserting that while it is acceptable for a government official to commend government initiatives, this situation is distinct.
“While her compliment may not have had any ulterior motives, the fact remains that Ragesh's recent position is a party-related role, not a governmental one. She could have exercised some discretion, making this a political matter,” he remarked.
Sabarinath is the son of the late G. Karthikeyan, a respected former Speaker and Minister, who passed away while serving as Speaker in 2014. After the loss of his father, Sabarinath left his lucrative job to enter politics. He won a by-election and was successful again in the 2016 Assembly elections, but faced defeat in 2021. During this time, he married Iyer, with both continuing to advance their careers.
For the past four years, Ragesh has been the private secretary to CM Vijayan. It is noteworthy that both Iyer, as an IAS officer, and Ragesh, in his influential role as the Chief Minister's private secretary, interacted as part of their professional responsibilities.
Shortly after she made her public commendation, Sabarinath’s social media was inundated with backlash, particularly from colleagues within his party. Veteran Congress leader K. Muraleedharan, the son of the esteemed K. Karunakaran, commented, “Everyone knows she is an officer who aims to please the Chief Minister, thus her statement will be perceived in that light.”
