Suspended IAS officer B Ashok hits back at Kerala govt

Senior B Ashok, suspended for alleged media criticism during elections, accused the Left government of intolerance and misuse of service rules. He defended his actions, called the suspension unjust, and claimed bureaucratic independence was being undermined in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram: Senior IAS officer B Ashok, suspended on charges of violating service rules by speaking to the media and criticising government policies during the Assembly polls, hit back at the Left administration on Friday, accusing it of being “intolerant”. Ashok, Principal Secretary in the Sainik Welfare Department and the Vice Chancellor of Kerala

The Agriculture University had, during the Assembly elections in Kerala, given interviews to the media and taken part in news channels’ debates on political and administrative matters. These were cited as grounds for his suspension, according to sources. On Thursday, holding a press conference here, Ashok said that the order does not make out a cause for suspending him.

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At the same time, he said he does not intend to challenge it any court or the Central Administrative Tribunal as it is a suspension order by a government “dismissed” by the people on April 9 “It can stay on the table. When the new government comes to power, the order will be withdrawn and I will be reinstated,” he asserted. He claimed that the suspension order was part of the government’s moves against civil servants, and him in particular, since January 2025.

“The Kerala IAS association and I had ensured that many decisions of this government regarding functioning of the IAS cadre in Kerala is done strictly as per the notified All India Civil Services rules.
“They lost in all the actions taken against me and therefore, to save face, they suspended me by making up a ground that I spoke to the media.

“It shows their intolerance of the highest order. They want government servants, including bureaucrats to act as their servants and yes men. So, I consider the suspension order as a badge,” he contended. He also claimed that after M Sivasankar, the former Principal Secretary of the chief minister, retired, a former bureaucrat — K Abraham — was appointed to the post of chief principal secretary and given powers that were equivalent or higher than that of the chief secretary.

It resulted in duality of power and the Kerala IAS association moved the tribunal against such reinstatement of long-retired bureaucrats in cadre posts and various other decisions of the government regarding IAS posts.