Suspended bureaucrat B. Ashok slams CM Vijayan, calls action ‘Badge of Honour’
Thiruvananthapuram, April 30 (IANS) A day after his suspension, senior IAS officer Dr B. Ashok launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, alleging political interference, misuse of public funds and an erosion of bureaucratic independence under the current regime.
Addressing the media on Thursday, Ashok who has put in 28 years of service and also serves as President of the IAS Association, claimed his suspension was linked to the association’s legal victories against the government since 2023.
“The anger of the Chief Minister is understandable,” he said, noting that the association had won five cases during this period.
Drawing a contrast between the two Left governments, Ashok said the first Vijayan administration (2016–2021) respected and acknowledged the role of civil servants, particularly senior ministers.
However, he alleged that the second term saw a shift in governance style, with around a dozen long-retired officials, wielding significant influence.
He specifically pointed to the appointment of former Chief Secretary, K.M. Abraham, to a newly created role in the Chief Minister’s Office, calling it an unprecedented move.
Ashok made it clear he would not immediately challenge the suspension in court, describing it instead as a “badge of honour.”
He argued that the action reflected a broader pattern in how he had been treated by the government.
“Let the suspension order lie on my table. I am sure a new government will address it appropriately,” he said, suggesting that the electoral verdict on April 9 had already gone against the ruling front.
He further alleged that, in the past six months, a group of officials had been mobilised to secure a third term for the government, including the use of public funds for a large-scale publicity campaign.
According to him, a Mumbai-based PR agency was awarded a Rs 130 crore contract for this purpose.
Calling the developments ‘serious irregularities’, Ashok warned that a dangerous precedent was being set, one that risked turning the civil service into a body subservient to political authority.
–IANS
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