A very public and ugly spat is playing out between two top bureaucrats in Kerala. On Tuesday, Biju Prabhakar, the Director of Agriculture met Agriculture Minister VS Sunil Kumar and Chief Secretary (CS) Nalini Netto to complain about his superior officer.
Biju Prabhakar’s grouse was that Raju Narayana Swamy, the Principal Secretary of Agriculture, was targeting him and trying to make him an accused in vigilance inquiries.
Biju told the minister and the CS that he suspected that a case would be foisted upon him for bringing an Israeli agricultural expert team to Kerala without clearing expenses. He claimed that Raju Narayana Swamy had also summoned him seeking an explanation on why the wife of the Industries Minister’s private secretary was given a posting in the Horticulture department.
“I am being wronged here. No one wants to listen to my version,” Biju told TNM over the phone. He confirmed that he had asked for two weeks’ leave.
But things took an explosive turn when Raju Narayana Swami accused Biju Prabhakar of being a ‘fake IAS officer’.
He says Biju Prabhakar got spooked as he had called for the files related to the Israeli expert’s visit to India. He claimed that the expert had been brought to India without any permission from the government.
“The Israeli team was invited without intimating both the state and the union governments. They came on visiting visa, but they were paid money," he told TNM.
Raju Narayana Swamy alleges, Biju wants to become Principal Secretary, and a political game was being played to oust him.
"Biju Prabhakar is scared as IAS was conferred upon him, violating rules. I have all the records with me to prove that and I have sent the same to the Prime Minister’s office. It will take at least two years to prove my case. He has created this drama like someone taking an anticipatory bail. He wants to sit in my post and oust me using political influence. I got a complaint about him and called for files. Why he is afraid if the records are clear?" Raju Narayana Swamy told TNM.
He added, “I was pushed into this war, but I am not interested in any controversy,” he said.
“His IAS is fake. I have all the papers to prove it. Why should a minister’s son get fake IAS when many youngsters work hard to score well in the exams? I will go to court,” Raju Narayana Swamy told Asianet News.
Biju Prabhakar, son of former Congress minister late Thachadi Prabhakaran is a conferred IAS officer. He was the Thiruvananthapuram district collector before he assumed charge as Director, Agriculture.