Know Why 2 IAS Officers Were Suspended Due To Actions On Social Media, Messaging App

Trivandrum: Two IAS officers—Kerala Industries and Commerce Director K Gopalakrishnan and Agriculture Department Special Secretary N Prasanth—were suspended by the Kerala government recently after they were caught in two controversies.

A 2013-batch officer, Gopalakrishnan was embroiled in a controversy after a WhatsApp group called “Mallu Hindu Officers” was created. Prasanth, a 2007-batch officer, caused a stir as he took to social media and made several posts against another IAS officer, Additional Chief Secretary A Jayathilak.

Their suspension was decided by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan based on reports from Chief Secretary Sarada Muraleedharan. Revenue Minister K Rajan had also said that the government would “not allow officials to act as they feel…” He insisted that the officials would have to work in accordance with norms and procedure.

What’s the controversy regarding a WhatsApp group?

The “Mallu Hindu Officers” group was reportedly formed on October 30. The group apparently had added senior IAS officers belonging to the Hindu community as members. But within hours of its creation, it was deleted as many officials flagged the impropriety of such a group.

Later, Gopalakrishnan filed a police complaint. He had alleged that the group was created after his phone was hacked. He also alleged that several other groups, including one called “Mallu Muslim Officers”, was also created.

However, his suspension order cited that a police investigation had revealed there was “no evidence indicating that the device was hacked”, reported the Indian Express. “It is also revealed that repeated factory reset of the mobile phone was done by the officer (Gopalakrishnan) himself before submitting his phones for forensic examination,” the order stated.

According to the order, the government was of the view that such a group was created with the intent to ‘foment division’ and ‘break the solidarity within the cadres of the All India Services’ in the state.

The controversy linked to social media

Prasanth had made multiple posts against Jayathilak, whom the former called a “special reporter” for a Malayalam daily. He made such a comment after the daily published a report that Prasanth took objection to.

The story published in the Malayalam daily, Mathrubhumi, had which claimed that Jayathilak, a 1991-batch IAS officer, had submitted a report to the Chief Minister regarding “files missing” at UNNATHI – a state government agency for SC/ST welfare schemes. Prasanth served as special secretary in the SC/ST Department.

Later, Prasanth, alleged on Facebook: “Mathrubhumi, which is not familiar with officials who go to the field, has carried news against me. As usual, the newspaper did not seek my side. I am forced to inform the public of certain facts about Mathrubhumi special reporter Dr Jayathilak IAS, who drafts reports against me and shares the same with the newspaper.”

Later, Prasanth again came out against Jayathilak by sharing a news report on a preliminary probe against the latter with regard to alleged irregularities during Jayathilak’s term during his stint as the chairman of the Spices Board.

Prasanth’s suspension order cited that his comments “amount to grave indiscipline and that such remarks undermine the public image of the administrative machinery in the state.”

According to Prasanth, his suspension was decided without seeking an explanation from him. “I have not criticised the government. The fake report against me was published in Mathrubhumi only to divert attention. There was a conspiracy behind it,” he said, as quoted by Indian Express.

However, Gopalakrishnan made no comments regarding his suspension.