The Kerala government on Saturday revoked the suspensions of senior IAS officers B. Ashok and N. Prasanth, allowing both to return to service. Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan signed the reinstatement orders, bringing Prasanth back after a two-year suspension and Ashok after approximately one and a half months.
The disciplinary actions, and their subsequent revocation, stem from incidents involving public criticism of the previous administration. N. Prasanth was suspended for nearly two years after publicly criticising Chief Secretary Dr. A. Jayathilak on social media platforms. B. Ashok was placed under suspension for about one and a half months after giving media interviews and speaking out against the previous government and the then Chief Minister.
Prasanth’s suspension was linked to his social media posts criticising the Chief Secretary, Dr. A. Jayathilak. Ashok’s suspension followed an interview in which he criticised former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the functioning of the previous government. He was also charged with speaking to the media without prior permission and allegedly tarnishing the image of the government.
Official announcements regarding their new postings are expected soon, signalling a possible restructuring of relations between the state administration and the bureaucracy under the new government.