The Kerala government reinstated senior IAS officers B. Ashok and N. Prasanth on Saturday. Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan signed the reinstatement orders, bringing Prasanth back after a two-year suspension and Ashok after about one and a half months.
These disciplinary actions and their subsequent revocation are the outcome of incidents involving public criticism of the previous administration.
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.
B Ashok is a 1998 batch IAS officer while N Prasanth is a 2007 batch IAS officer.
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