Asking me to return not with good intent: Kannan Gopinathan

Kannan Gopinathan, a young officer who quit the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) last year in August, said on Friday that the new directive asking him to return to service is not with good intent.

Gopinathan, a 2012 batch IAS officer hailing from Kerala and posted in Dadra and Nagar Haveli as Power and Non-Conventional Energy Secretary, had quit the IAS pretesting against the denial of "fundamental rights" to lakhs of people in Jammu and Kashmir for weeks after the state lost its special status.

Thirty-four-year old Gopinathan confirmed that he got a letter asking him to join back the service as the country is fighting Covid-19.

"Asking me to return to service is not one with a good intent and meant to harass me. I see some sort of pettiness and vengeance. If they want me to work for Covid-19, I am already doing it and am working with NGOs in Maharashtra. For doing Covid-19 work, I don't need the tag of an IAS. If they say I should do this work in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, I am willing, but will not return to service and I have written back," said Gopinathan to the media.

He also pointed out that though he resigned in August last year, he is yet to get his salary for the days he worked in August.

His work during the 2018 floods in Kerala was appreciated, as many came to know he was an IAS officer much later.