Kannan Gopinathan, Ex-IAS Officer who resigned over Article 370, joins Congress
New Delhi: Six years after resigning from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in protest against the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, former IAS officer Kannan Gopinathan formally joined the Congress on Monday.
The announcement was made by Congress general secretary (organisation) and MP K.C. Venugopal, who described Gopinathan as “one of the brave bureaucrats with a passion for the downtrodden and marginalised, and someone who has always stood for justice and unity.”
A 2012-batch IAS officer from the Mizoram cadre, Gopinathan was instrumental in initiating several development projects in the Northeast, particularly in Aizawl.
Addressing a press conference after joining the party, Gopinathan said, “I consider only those people as traitors who know the country is not moving in the right direction but remain silent for their own benefit, greed, or survival. I did not want to become that kind of traitor.”
Questioning the government’s decision in 2019, he added, “Abrogating Article 370 might be the government’s prerogative. But if you shut down an entire state, jail journalists, MPs and former Chief Ministers, and suspend transportation, communication, and the internet, can that be right in a democracy?”
The Kerala-born bureaucrat, known for his outspoken stance on civil liberties and human rights, said he continues to stand by his 2019 decision. “This is a question not just for me but for all of us. Can this be right in a democratic nation? Shouldn’t voices have been raised against this?” he said.
Before his formal induction, Gopinathan met Congress president and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, as well as Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
Venugopal, while welcoming Gopinathan, noted that although he resigned in 2019, his resignation has not yet been accepted by the government. “Bureaucrats who fight for justice and the marginalised are being penalised—this trend is visible in states like Haryana and Madhya Pradesh. Even the Chief Justice of India is not immune to such attacks,” he said.
Gopinathan first came into national prominence during the 2018 Kerala floods, when he volunteered in relief operations anonymously, refusing to use his official position for recognition.
With Assembly elections in Kerala scheduled for next year, party sources indicated that Gopinathan is likely to play a significant role both in state-level politics and at the national stage
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Modi govt by changing name of MGNREGA exposed its 'hatred' towards Gandhi: Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said that the union government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, attempting to change the name and structure of the MGNREGA, has itself exposed its "hatred" towards the poor and towards Mahatma Gandhi.
He also accused the Centre of "altering" the very structure of the scheme, by shifting nearly 40 per cent of the cost onto the state governments, and called Modi "anti federal".
Suggesting that the NDA government at the Centre start a "Ministry of Name Change", with the Prime Minister himself holding that portfolio, the CM warned of a statewide agitation against this name change move.
The Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025, that seeks to replace the existing rural employment law MGNREGA, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday amid strong objections by the opposition to the "removal" of Mahatma Gandhi's name from it.
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"The Union government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which is attempting to change the name and structure of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA), has itself exposed its hatred towards the poor and towards Mahatma Gandhi," Siddaramaiah said in a statement.
Implemented by the UPA government 20 years ago, the MGNREGA scheme has played a crucial role in eradicating unemployment and poverty in rural areas, he said, adding that "this scheme, which guarantees the right to employment to every individual, has received praise from economists both in India and abroad."
Noting that MGNREGA was a genuine form of employment guarantee, the CM said the proposed new structure under the Modi government strips away that guarantee and places the assurance of work at the whims of political leaders.
"This will further deepen caste discrimination and social inequality," he claimed.
Highlighting that the NDA government has altered the very structure of MGNREGA, a scheme whose entire expenditure was earlier borne by the Central government, by shifting nearly 40 per cent of the cost onto the state governments, Siddaramaiah said this stands as clear evidence of the "anti-federal attitude" that Prime Minister Modi has followed ever since coming to power.
"This move will also increase the migration of poor people in search of work as the proposed form does not guarantee employment in their own location -- forcing families to travel long distances to survive," he said.
Naming this scheme after Mahatma Gandhi, who sowed the dream of Gram Swaraj, was a meaningful decision, the CM said, "While Prime Minister Narendra Modi indulges in praising Gandhi during his foreign tours, within the country he has consistently engaged in attempts to erase Gandhi's legacy from key national programmes. From a parivar that seeks to glorify Gandhi's assassin Godse, what different conduct can one really expect?"
"Narendra Modi is widely known for simply changing the names of landmark schemes launched by the UPA government rather than preserving or strengthening them. It would be more appropriate for this government to start a 'Ministry of Name Change,' with the Prime Minister himself holding that portfolio," he said.
More than 25 flagship programmes launched during earlier governments were merely renamed or repackaged by the present regime, the CM further said, listing out that the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan was rechristened as the Swachh Bharat Mission, while the Basic Savings Bank Deposit Account scheme was rebranded as the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, among others.
"These changes reflect a consistent pattern of altering names rather than fundamentally strengthening or expanding the original intent of these welfare initiatives," he added.
Stating that the Congress party and state government strongly condemn this "anti-people" decision of the Narendra Modi government, which has snatched food from the plates of the poor, insulted Bapu, and attempted to strangle state governments financially, Siddaramaiah warned about launching a statewide agitation against this move.
"The responsibility of preserving the MGNREGA scheme in its original form must also be taken up by the lakhs of beneficiaries of the scheme. They must hold the BJP leaders of the state accountable and exert pressure on them to raise their voices against this injustice, rising above party lines," he said.
