Ex-IAS Officer Kannan Gopinathan Asks PM Modi to Direct His “Lethargic Government” to Process His Resignation, Delayed for 6.5 Years, Preventing Him from Contesting in Kerala Assembly Elections 2026

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Kannan Gopinathan, a former IAS officer, has highlighted the “lethargy” of the central government in a post on X dated 25 March 2026. Gopinathan had resigned from his service back in 2019, citing a lack of freedom of expression for the people of Kashmir. He has accused the central government of delaying the processing of his resignation for over 6.5 years, which has prevented him from contesting in the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections in 2026.

The former IAS officer became popular during the 2018 Kerala floods for volunteering in several relief camps without revealing his identity. He resigned from his service as a protest against the restrictions imposed in Jammu and Kashmir following the removal of Article 370. Six years later, Gopinathan joined the Indian National Congress.

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The Supreme Court of India agreed with the government’s decision to remove Article 370, which had granted Jammu and Kashmir special status, on 11 December 2023. The Article had allowed the region to make its own laws except in matters related to finance, defence, communication, and foreign affairs.

Gopinathan addressed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and stated that his resignation has still not been processed, which has become a hurdle for him to move on in his life. He wrote, “Dear PM @narendramodi, I just wanted to bring to your attention that your government has refused to process my resignation for 6.5 years. No salary and no release.”

He added that the delay has prevented him from “professionally moving on” and said, “It has also prevented me from contesting elections in Kerala."

He further took a dig at Prime Minister Modi, saying that he had chosen not to raise his personal issue earlier as he was aware of the hardships people are facing under his governance.

The former IAS officer wrote, “But blocking my right to resign and take part in the democratic process is pathetic and petty, whatever my political position may be.” He called for action to process his resignation, which has been pending for more than six years.

“Stop this pettiness and direct your lethargic government to process my resignation immediately,” Gopinathan wrote.

Who is Kannan Gopinathan? 

Kannan Gopinathan was born in Kottayam, Kerala. He is an activist and a former IAS officer who resigned in 2019. He completed his engineering from the Birla Institute of Technology, Ranchi, Jharkhand. After working for a couple of years, he began preparing for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS).

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He joined the IAS under the AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram, and Union Territories) cadre in 2012. While working in Mizoram, he initiated several projects for development, including improving government schools and setting up training centres, among other initiatives.

As a member of the Congress-led UDF, several media reports claimed that Kannan Gopinathan was being considered to contest from the Palakkad constituency in the elections on April 9, 2026. However, the delay in processing his resignation has prevented him from contesting in the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections.

The Indian National Congress (INC) has fielded actor-comedian Ramesh Pisharody from the Palakkad constituency following the sexual abuse allegations against the incumbent MLA, Rahul Mamkootathil. Mamkootathil was suspended by the Congress party after being embroiled in the controversy.

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