N Prasanth, an IAS Officer posted in Kerala, popularly known as “Collector Bro,” has been suspended by the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government.
Prasanth, who became a household name during his tenure as the Kozhikode District Collector, has been accused of making derogatory remarks about Additional Chief Secretary A Jayathilak, sparking a row that has culminated in disciplinary action. The officer’s online criticism, in which he accused Jayathilak of unethical conduct, is seen as a violation of the All India Services Conduct Rules, 1968.
An IAS officer from Kerala’s 2007 batch, Prasanth rose to fame during his time as Kozhikode’s District Collector. Known for initiatives like “Compassionate Kozhikode” for mental health, “Operation Sulaimani” to combat hunger, and pothole-repair drives, Prasanth’s unconventional style drew public support and praise. His Facebook page, where he actively interacted with citizens, earned him the moniker “Collector Bro.” He authored books detailing his administrative experiences and promoted public welfare through direct engagement, fostering a fan base that numbers over 300,000 on Facebook alone.
However, his social media activity, which included blunt criticism of colleagues, has landed him in hot water multiple times. Though he advocated for social change and public engagement, his outspoken style sometimes clashed with traditional bureaucratic decorum.
The feud between Prasanth and Jayathilak intensified when Prasanth publicly criticised the latter in a Facebook post, calling him “a great person who has declared himself the next Chief Secretary” and threatening to reveal incriminating files. In a now-deleted post, he went as far as describing Jayathilak as “the real mental patient of Madampally,” referencing a character from the popular Malayalam movie “Manichitrathazhu”.
The final straw came when Prasanth shared a post implying Jayathilak was a “weed” that needed to be uprooted, accompanied by a picture of a weeding machine. The Chief Secretary, Sharada Muralidharan, subsequently recommended disciplinary action, which led to Prasanth’s suspension on charges of “serious indiscipline” and causing a rift within the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in Kerala.
Prasanth’s troubles extend beyond his social media posts. A recent news report alleged that documents related to the “Unnathi” initiative—established for the welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes—had disappeared under his watch. Prasanth, who had resigned from his CEO position at Unnathi due to clashes with Jayathilak, insisted he had handed over the documents to the concerned minister. He accused Jayathilak of misleading the government by falsely claiming the files were missing, which further fueled their public conflict.
The fallout from this feud has not only shaken the administrative corridors of Kerala but also raised questions about the state’s governance. Prasanth defended his actions, claiming he was simply exposing malpractice and that his remarks targeted individuals, not government policies. “Criticising fabricated reports is not a government offence,” he told a local TV channel after his suspension, calling himself a “whistleblower.”
Prasanth’s critics argue that his behavior tarnishes the IAS’s reputation, while his supporters see him as a reformist stymied by bureaucratic rigidity.
Adding to the intrigue, another senior IAS officer, K Gopalakrishnan, was suspended alongside Prasanth. Gopalakrishnan faced accusations of creating a communal WhatsApp group named “Mallu Hindu Officers,” intended solely for Hindu IAS officers from Kerala. Initially, he claimed his phone was hacked, but a police investigation concluded he had created the group himself. The government termed his actions as a “grave violation” of service rules and an attempt to disrupt administrative unity.
The suspensions have sparked political debate, with opposition parties criticising the government. CPM leader and former Fisheries Minister J Mercykutty Amma accused Prasanth of being involved in a political conspiracy against her in 2021, allegedly orchestrated by Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala. Amma claimed Prasanth’s role as Chennithala’s former private secretary put him at the centre of a plot to damage her reputation through a fabricated scandal involving a ₹5,000 crore deep-sea trawler deal.
Meanwhile, the Congress-led UDF criticised the left government, saying, “Under this regime, government officers are fighting each other, exposing a fractured administrative structure.”
For now, Kerala’s “Collector Bro” will remain absent from the public eye, awaiting the outcome of a legal battle that may determine the limits of dissent within India’s bureaucratic establishment.
