New Delhi:

Suspended Kerala bureaucrat N Prashanth – aka ‘Brother Collector’ told NDTV today that the allegations against him for publicly criticizing a senior official were a year-old matter and came up suddenly. He claimed that the allegations against him were “fabricated” by the senior officer in collaboration with others.

Describing his action on social media, the bureaucrat said it was “trivializing the issue” and insisted it was punishment for what he wrote in government files a year ago. He said he would defend his right to do so, noting that he was a whistleblower who wrote his “opinion” that they were “paid to do.”

As Special Secretary of the agriculture department, Mr. Prashanth said he tried all normal channels to raise concerns about Additional Chief Secretary Jayathilak, who submitted fake documents to the government. When it didn’t help, he requested a transfer.

A year later, Mr. Prashanth was suspended by the Pinarayi Vijayan government after he made derogatory remarks against the officer on social media. The provocation was a media report alleging that many of his files were lost during his tenure as CEO of ‘Unnathi’, a welfare initiative for Scheduled Castes and Tribes.

Mr Prashanth rubbished the allegations and described the senior officer as a “special correspondent”. He also described him as a “psychopath” who victimized subordinates who did not follow his instructions.

Regarding his suspension, the officer questioned why he was gagged and pointed out that service rules prevented him from speaking only against the government and its policies. And not just him, several officers had spoken out against Jayathilak before, he added.

When asked about his future plans, Mr. Prashanth said: “I have written this exam. I have worked hard to pass this exam and enter the service. And I love this service. And this has been the case for the last 17-18 years.” “So I won’t be disappointed by such things, I believe in the rule of law.”