Photo: K.Gopalakrishnan
Thiruvananthapuram: Action has been taken against Industries Director K. Gopalakrishnan and Agriculture Department Special Secretary N. Prashanth. Both have been suspended. K. Gopalakrishnan’s suspension follows the Mallu Hindu WhatsApp group controversy, while N. Prashanth was suspended for publicly insulting Additional Chief Secretary Dr. S. Jayathilak.
The Chief Secretary had reported to the Chief Minister yesterday that Gopalakrishnan’s actions violated discipline. The police investigation found that Gopalakrishnan’s claim of his mobile being hacked was untrue, which led to the report.
The Chief Secretary recommended action against N. Prashanth for publicly defaming Dr. Jayathilak through social media posts. The Chief Secretary, Sharada Muraleedharan, reported the issue to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Prashanth’s public insult of Additional Chief Secretary Jayathilak sparked significant debate. The Chief Secretary informed the Chief Minister that Prashanth’s actions violated service rules. Strict action is expected against Prashanth. Yesterday, Prashanth criticized Jayathilak’s methods, claiming that she destroyed the lives and careers of subordinates.
The decision to take action against Gopalakrishnan came after major controversies. Gopalakrishnan had claimed that his mobile phone was hacked, but after filing a police complaint, he gave phones that had been formatted, which contradicted his hacking claim. Both Meta and forensic lab investigations disproved the hacking allegation. As a result, disciplinary action against Gopalakrishnan is now almost certain. Further investigations at the departmental level could follow to confirm that Gopalakrishnan was behind creating the group.
Meanwhile, N. Prashanth’s public insult of Additional Chief Secretary Jayathilak included calling her mentally ill, which led to the recommendation for action against him. The Chief Secretary has stated that no further explanation is needed, as the violation of rules through public criticism is clear.
The Chief Secretary’s report confirmed that Prashanth’s criticism violated service regulations. In his post, Prashanth claimed to be a whistleblower and challenged that his criticism of both Jayathilak and Gopalakrishnan would continue.
