Defiant Stance of Suspended Kerala IAS Officer N. Prasanth Against Senior Officials
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Synopsis
Suspended IAS officer N. Prasanth remains unyielding, publicly challenging senior officials and questioning the integrity of the civil service conduct rules. His actions have ignited a significant controversy and may lead him to escalate his opposition.
Key Takeaways
- N. Prasanth is openly defying his suspension.
- He criticized Chief Secretary Sarada Muralidharan's decisions.
- Prasanth demands transparency in the hearing process.
- His suspension was linked to allegations against A. Jayathilak.
- He is prepared to resign if necessary to continue his fight.
Thiruvananthapuram, April 14 (NationPress) The suspended IAS officer N. Prasanth seems resolute in his defiance, even as his actions put him at odds with the conduct regulations for civil servants.
On Monday, Prasanth utilized social media to launch another offensive against Chief Secretary Sarada Muralidharan, sharing two official letters from her regarding a personal hearing set for April 16 at 4:30 p.m. — a hearing he had himself requested.
“In my letter dated February 10, I had asked for the hearing to be recorded and live-streamed. This request was acknowledged in the letter I received dated April 4,” Prasanth stated.
“However, in the letter dated April 11, my request was inexplicably denied. It is perplexing what could have changed in just a week. The latest correspondence does not mention anything unusual,” he further noted.
Additionally, Prasanth took aim at parts of the media that labeled his demand for live-streaming as “strange”.
“In this era of Right to Information and demand for transparency, what is so unusual about such a request?” he questioned.
The controversy surrounding Prasanth ignited in November of last year when he was suspended while serving as Special Secretary (Agriculture). He had publicly voiced his dissatisfaction regarding the handling of his suspension, claiming he was denied the opportunity to present his case. He even characterized the move as indicative of “fascist tendencies”.
Standing up for his right to free speech, Prasanth asserted that he had remained within acceptable boundaries and maintained that the IAS was never his sole ambition — he has other interests as well. His recent statements and ongoing criticism indicate he is ready to escalate the conflict, even if it results in resigning from his government position.
Prasanth's suspension came after he made a social media post accusing Additional Chief Secretary A. Jayathilak of breaching official protocols, falsifying attendance, and being absent from duty — claims he substantiated with Jayathilak's photo.
Interestingly, Chief Secretary Muralidharan is due to retire on April 30, and Jayathilak is widely anticipated to succeed her.
