New Delhi, 13 Oct

Former IAS officer Kannan Gopinathan, who quit the services in 2019 over "denial of freedom of expression" to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, joined the Congress on Monday and said he realised that only the grand old party can take the country in the right direction.

Gopinathan joined the party in the presence of Congress general secretary KC Venugopal, AICC media and publicity department head Pawan Khera, and party leaders Kanhaiya Kumar, Jignesh Mewani and IAS officer-turned-politician Sasikanth Senthil.

"One of the brave bureaucrats who has a passion towards the downtrodden and marginalised people of the country and who has always fought for justice and unity: this is what defines Gopinathan ji. He was born in Kerala and has worked in the Northeast and other parts of the country," Venugopal said.

Gopinathan's joining the Congress party is a clear message that it's the only party fighting for justice with an ideology, he said.

"He resigned in 2019, but his resignation has still not been accepted. 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," Venugopal said at the press conference.

"It's the right time to fight against this divisive agenda. So, today, his entry into the Congress party is a welcome step, and we wholeheartedly welcome him," he said.

Noting that Gopinathan was an IAS officer of the 2012 batch, Khera said that when speaking out in the country had become almost impossible, he raised his voice.

"Kannan Gopinathan ji raised his voice loudly against the conversion of Jammu-Kashmir from a state to a UT and was vocal on the issue of the CAA as well. He conveyed the message that the right of people to speak cannot be taken away. Gopinathan ji also spoke openly on the issue of VVPAT," Khera said.

"He faced many FIRs and various actions, but he did not get scared or bow down. In the end, he quit such a job that everyone wants to attain. We are happy that Gopinathan ji has chosen the Congress party. Our doors are open for every voice that speaks of freedom and justice," Khera said.

In his remarks, Gopinathan said he resigned from his job in 2019, and at that time, he knew that the direction in which the government was taking the country was wrong.

"I also knew that I had to fight against this wrong. After this decision, I travelled to 80-90 districts of the country, talked to people, and met with numerous leaders. I realised that only the Congress party can take this country in the right direction," he said.

"We saw that in this government, anyone who asks questions is labelled a traitor. It took me quite some time, but I'm happy that today I am associated with the Congress party, and I will fulfil whatever responsibility the party gives me with complete honesty," Gopinathan said.

In a post on X, Venugopal said, "We warmly welcome Shri Kannan Gopinathan, former IAS officer and fearless voice for democracy, to the Congress family."

"He has served as a principled administrator, an active citizen, and a committed democrat, and his joining will certainly give a boost to our movement that stands to protect the Constitution, freedom, and inclusive social fabric of India," the Congress general secretary said.