Kerala bureaucrat courts controversy over praise for CPI(M) leader

Thiruvananthapuram | An IAS officer has courted controversy for lavishing praise on CPI(M) leader K K Ragesh, the former private secretary to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, following his appointment as the ruling party's Kannur district secretary.

In an Instagram post on Tuesday, Divya S Iyer invoked the epic Mahabharata to compliment the politician, stating that even Karna would be jealous of this "KKR shield"—apparently referring to Ragesh's role as the CM's private secretary.

The official also shared a photo of Ragesh with CM Vijayan along with her post.

Currently serving as the Cultural Director and as the MD of Vizhinjam Port, Iyer said she had imbibed several good qualities from Ragesh by closely observing his official life over the past three years.

"Thank you for always treating us with the utmost respect—an art that is becoming endangered in power corridors across the globe," the official added.

Iyer's social media post—she is married to Congress leader and former MLA K S Sabarinathan—quickly went viral, drawing both support and criticism.

Later in the day, the IAS officer released a video clarifying her post, defending her compliments and explaining her good intentions.

However, her praise for the CPI(M) leader did not sit well with several Congress leaders.

K Muraleedharan, Rahul Mamkoottathil, and Youth Congress Kannur district secretary Vijil Mohan were among those who strongly criticised Iyer for her remarks.

When asked for his response, Muraleedharan said on Wednesday that Iyer was among the officers who display servitude to CM Vijayan.

He said he placed no value on her post and warned that such actions could be harmful to her in the future.

In a scathing Facebook post, Vijil said the officer should remember that she was not drawing her salary from the AKG Centre (the CPI-M headquarters) under CM Vijayan's regime.

He also alleged that her praise violated the service rules governing civil servants.

As the row intensified, Iyer's husband and Congress leader Sabarinathan also reacted, saying that while her post was made with good intent, the praise could have been avoided.

Complimenting someone appointed to a political post was a different matter altogether, he added.

K K Ragesh, however, defended the officer and criticised those who attacked her for saying good things about him.