Mohammad Mohsin, a poll officer posted as general observer in Odisha, was suspended on Wednesday, 17 April, for allegedly checking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s chopper in Sambalpur.
Mohsin, a 1996-batch Karnataka cadre IAS officer, was working under the supervision of the poll panel in Odisha but was reprimanded for “dereliction of duty” by the EC.
He has been suspended with immediate effect for “acting contrary to the instructions of the Commission concerning SPG protectees” – including PM Modi – and will be posted at Sambalpur till further orders.
But Who Exactly is Mohsin?
Mohsin, an IAS officer of the Karnataka cadre, has been working for the backward class welfare department under the Government of Karnataka since June 2016.
He hails from Patna and had completed his primary education from Mohammedan Anglo Arabic Senior Secondary School in Patna. Following this, he studied Economics at Magadh University and subsequently attained a Masters of Commerce from the Patna University.
Before joining the Karnataka government, Mohsin worked as Managing Director and CEO of KSSIDC (Karnataka State Small Industries Development Corporation Ltd) and as the Commissioner for Public Instruction for the Department of School Education, Government of Karnataka.
He had started his twenty-three-year long career as an IAS officer as a Sub Divisional Magistrate of Kundapur district of Karnataka.
A Critic of Ruling Dispensation’s Policies?
A deeper dive into the Mohsin’s personal life – via his social media accounts – reveals that he has been critical of the ruling party and its policies in the past.
From jobs, Rafale, Pulwama attack, and government policies to the deaths of Gauri Lankesh and MM Kalburgi, Mohsin has been vocal about a variety of issues that the government or PM Modi have endured heavy criticism for.
‘What was Modi Carrying in Helicopter?’
The Opposition has since questioned the decision to suspend Mohsin, and asked what the PM was ‘trying to hide’.
(With inputs from Madhurima Dey)
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