"Paid To Write My Opinion": 'Collector Bro' On Outburst That Got Him Suspended

Suspended bureaucrat N Prashanth - aka 'Collector Bro' -- told NDTV today that the allegations against him of publicly criticising a senior officer was a one-year-old issue that has suddenly been raked up. The allegations against him, he alleged, have been "cooked up" by the senior officer in collaboration with others. 

Describing it in terms of social media is "trivialising the matter" the bureaucrat said. Declaring that he is a whistleblower who had just written his "opinion," which they are "paid to do", he said he would defend his right to do so. 

The Special Secretary in the agriculture department, Mr Prashanth said as the Kozhikode District Collector he had tried all the regular channels to flag his concerns about the officer who had submitted forged documents. When it did not help, he had sought a transfer.