Suspended Kerala IAS officer N. Prasanth refuses to back down, targets top officials again

Thiruvananthapuram, April 14 (IANS) Suspended IAS officer N. Prasanth appears determined to stay defiant, even as his actions challenge the conduct rules governing civil servants.

On Monday, Prasanth took to social media to launch a fresh attack against Chief Secretary Sarada Muralidharan, posting two official letters sent by her regarding a personal hearing scheduled for April 16 at 4.30 p.m. -- a hearing he himself had requested.

“In my letter dated February 10, I had requested that the hearing be recorded and streamed live. This request was accepted in the letter I received dated April 4,” Prasanth wrote.

“But in the letter dated April 11, my request was denied without any explanation. One fails to understand what changed in a week. The latest letter doesn’t mention anything unusual either,” he added.

Prasanth also took a dig at sections of the media that described his live-streaming demand as “strange”.

“In today's age of Right to Information and transparency, what’s so strange about such a request?” he asked.

The controversy surrounding Prasanth began in November last year, when he was suspended while serving as Special Secretary (Agriculture). He had then publicly expressed displeasure over the manner in which the suspension was handled, claiming he was not given a chance to explain his side. He even described the move as exhibiting “fascist tendencies”.

Defending his right to free expression, Prasanth said he had stayed within acceptable limits and asserted that the IAS was never his only ambition -- he had other interests too. His recent statements and persistent criticism suggest he is prepared to escalate the fight, even if it means quitting government service.

Prasanth’s suspension followed a social media post in which he publicly accused Additional Chief Secretary A. Jayathilak of violating official procedures, falsifying attendance, and staying absent from duty -- allegations he accompanied with Jayathilak’s photo.

Incidentally, Chief Secretary Muralidharan is set to retire on April 30, and Jayathilak is widely expected to succeed her.

--IANS

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