THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Senior IAS officer and Department of Sainik Welfare Principal Secretary B Ashok was suspended on Wednesday for interacting with media without government permission — the latest flashpoint in his long-running friction with the LDF government.
Chief Secretary A Jayathilak issued the suspension order under the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969, citing violations by engaging with print, visual, electronic and social media platforms without prior government approval.
The order stated that in March and April 2026, Ashok engaged in a series of public statements and communications concerning government policies and functioning.
Calling the suspension a revenge move, Ashok said the order was legally weak and against rules.
Order won’t survive legal challenge, says Ashok
“This vendetta reflects the government’s attitude that not all facts should reach the public. I don’t think this order will survive a legal challenge — just like the ones before it,” he told reporters.
Ashok also called the order vague, pointing out that it failed to specify which of his remarks had raised the stated concerns. “There is no hurry. I will think about how to take this forward, especially when we only have a caretaker government and a new one is about to come.”
The order was based on complaints from Sajeev Divakaran and K O Asokan.
Sources close to the government said Left-affiliated organisations had complained about his media appearances. In March, the SFI had approached the Election Commission, alleging model code of conduct violation over Ashok’s comments in a newspaper article and a television programme — a complaint the EC rejected, finding no violation.
The controversy deepened after Ashok wrote a magazine article warning that a prolonged tenure in power could give a government a fascist character. He also appeared on a podcast hosted by N Prasanth, another IAS officer previously suspended by the government.
This is not the first time Ashok has been at odds with the government. Currently holding additional charge of Principal Secretary, Youth Affairs Department, he has been transferred multiple times over the years, with the CAT quashing three of those orders in his favour.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala condemned the suspension, calling it an act of vendetta against an officer who served with integrity and refused to be party to corruption. He said the action, taken on the basis of complaints from Left organisations, was illegal, coming just days before the government’s term ends.