Former IAS officer Sasikanth Senthil to join Congress

Chennai:

Former IAS officer S Sasikanth Senthil, who had resigned from service last year alleging that democracy was being “compromised,” on Sunday announced his decision to join the Congress party.

The 2009 Karnataka-cadre officer had quit the IAS last year and has since participated in many protests against the government, including the anti-NRC/CAA agitations.

He was the Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada district when he resigned in September 2019.

He recalled he had said while leaving service that “fundamental building blocks of our diverse democracy are being compromised in an unprecedented manner.”

In a statement uploaded on his official Twitter handle, Senthil said the “Congress party is aware of the challenges that the 21st century poses for India and the world and is ready to find solutions alongside the people of the country.”

“In the coming days, I look forward to building this organisation by travelling to corners of the country to spread the message of our Constitution and understanding our people and pondering on ways to make their lives better,” he said.

He said the Congress party as a movement has been consistent with the founding ideologies of the Constitution and that the “current leadership understands the spirit of this ideological fight and recognises that India has to be for all.”

The former bureaucrat said Tamil Nadu “is the final frontier” for divisive forces, adding Tamil people always believed in “social equity”.

“I will stand with them until my last breath to protect these core values of Tamil Nadu. I have remained an activist at heart and will continue to do so within the Congress party also,” he added.