'Want to Serve People': IAS Officer Who Quit Job in Protest Against J&K Lockdown Will Not Rejoin Duty

New Delhi: Three months after quitting his job to protest the lockdown and the denial of freedom of expression to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, IAS officer Kannan Gopinathan on Monday said he will not rejoin duty, instead continue to create awareness about the dangerous situation the nation is being led towards.

Gopinath said he wants to carry on with his present campaign of meeting people in various parts of the country and "creating awareness among them about the dangerous situation the country is being led towards".

It has been nearly three months since he resigned, but the resignation is yet to be accepted.

Talking to PTI, the 33-year-old said, "I have already resigned from IAS, I don't want to rejoin duty. It is a real waste. I don't care."

"It is not necessary that the people will be served only if I am in the IAS," he said, adding that he had given his best to the country in seven years of service and the experience would stay with him. "Nobody can take it from me", he said.

The 2012 batch officer of AGMUT cadre alleged that the government was being vindictive towards him.

He received a "disciplinary enquiry memo" by e-mail from the Personnel Department levelling seven charges against him.

Asked whether he would move the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) challenging the notice, the Kottayam (Kerala) native officer said, "I don't want to waste even a single second in taking legal steps."

When pointed out that he might not get back his wages and other settlements, and the enquiry could be ex-parte if he did not send a reply, Gopinathan said, "I have already quit. It is for the government to give me my settlement or not."

Gopinathan was the secretary, Power Department of the Union Territories of Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli when he resigned August 21 this year. The Personnel Department of Daman and Diu, however, has asked him to attend the office till it is accepted.

The notice, dated August 27, said resignation by a government officer "becomes effective when it is accepted".

"Therefore, you are hereby directed to continue attending to your assigned duties immediately till a decision is taken on your resignation," it said.

As he was not available at Silvasa then, the notice was pasted on the door of the room of the guest house where he was staying.

He had earlier said that to abrogate Article 370 of the Constitution was the "right of elected government", but in a democracy people have the right to respond too.