Congress welcomes ex-IAS Kannan Gopinathan, who protested abrogation of Article 370
Gopinathan is also known for questioning the Election Commission of India’s claims that EVMs are completely secure and ‘standalone’ machines
Bureaucrat-turned-activist Kannan Gopinathan, who resigned from the civil services in protest against the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, has joined the Congress.
A fierce critic of the Modi government, Gopinathan said his decision stemmed from the realisation that “only the Congress can take the country in the right direction” now.
“I resigned from my job in 2019 because I knew the direction in which the government was taking the country was wrong,” Gopinathan said after joining the party on 13 October, Monday.
“Under this government, anyone who questions is branded a traitor,” he added. “It took me time, but I’m happy that I’m now associated with the Congress, and I’ll fulfil every responsibility given to me with complete honesty.”
Gopinathan, a native of Kerala, who has served in the North-East and other parts of India, came into public focus in 2019 when he resigned from the Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu joint administration over what he called the government’s “denial of freedom of expression” in Jammu and Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370, deploring the media blackouts.
Although his resignation letter was submitted on 23 August 2019, it has reportedly not yet been accepted by the government.
Subsequently, an FIR was filed against him for ‘unauthorisedly communicating with print, electronic and social media on government policies’ and he was charged with ‘insubordination’.
Welcoming Gopinathan to the party, Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal said, “Bureaucrats who fight for justice and the marginalised are being penalised by the government — this phenomenon is evident in both Haryana and Madhya Pradesh. Even the Chief Justice of India is not immune to these attacks. It’s the right time to fight against this divisive agenda, and we wholeheartedly welcome Gopinathan’s entry into the Congress.”
Pawan Khera, AICC’s chairman of media and publicity, echoed the sentiment, saying, “We are happy that Gopinathan-ji has chosen the Congress party. Our doors are open for every voice that speaks of freedom and justice.”
Gopinathan is also known for questioning the Election Commission of India’s claims that EVMs are completely secure ‘standalone’ machines. In a detailed 2019 letter to the Chief Election Commissioner, he flagged potential vulnerabilities in the process of uploading symbols and linking VVPATs to computers, arguing that the system demanded a transparent investigation.
With his formal entry into the Congress, Gopinathan is expected to bolster the party’s narrative on its fight against ‘vote chori’ and the INDIA bloc’s joint campaign for civil liberties, democratic accountability and institutional integrity.