Kannan Gopinathan joins Congress after quitting IAS over Article-370 abrogation
By Chanshimla Varah | Oct 13, 2025 | 03:19 pm
**Former IAS Officer Kannan Gopinathan Joins Indian National Congress**
Former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Kannan Gopinathan has officially joined the Indian National Congress party. He completed the formalities in New Delhi on Monday in the presence of Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal and party leader Pawan Khera.
### Background and Resignation
Gopinathan had resigned from the IAS in 2019, protesting the “shutdown” of Jammu and Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370, which revoked the former state’s special status.
Explaining his resignation, Gopinathan said the direction the government intended to take the country was not right. “One thing was clear at that time — I had to fight against the wrong,” he stated. He traveled across 80-90 districts, engaging with people and leaders, which led him to conclude that only the Congress party could guide the country toward the right path.
### Reasons for Resignation: “Shutting Down a State is Wrong”
While acknowledging that abrogating Article 370 was the government’s decision, Gopinathan criticized the subsequent actions. “Shutting down a state and jailing elected leaders and journalists was wrong. I raised that question and I stand by it even today,” he said.
He further added, “I consider only those people as traitors who know the country is not moving in the right direction but remain silent for their own benefit, greed, or survival. I did not want to become that kind of traitor.”
### Political Vision and Future Plans
Announcing Gopinathan’s entry into the party, KC Venugopal described him as “one of the brave bureaucrats who has always stood by downtrodden and marginalized sections of society.” He emphasized that “it’s the right time to fight against this divisive agenda,” welcoming Gopinathan’s decision wholeheartedly.
### Career Highlights
Kannan Gopinathan is a 2012-batch IAS officer from the Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre. During his tenure in the civil service, he held key positions such as the District Magistrate of Aizawl in Mizoram and secretary of important departments in Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
Reflecting on his career, Gopinathan shared, “I joined civil service with the hope that I can be the voice of those who have been silenced. But here, I lost my own voice.”
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Kannan Gopinathan’s transition to active politics marks a significant step as he seeks to contribute to India’s future through the Indian National Congress.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/politics/kannan-gopinathan-who-quit-ias-over-article-370-joins-congress/story
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