IAS officer N Prashanth, who is facing suspension for his criticism of Dr. Jayathilak, has opened up about his past experiences working with the senior officer. Prashanth, in an interview with a news channel, recalled his time as a trainee during his probation period when Dr. Jayathilak served as the Kozhikode Collector.

"I gained a lot of experience during my probation under Dr. Jayathilak," Prashanth said. "There were many reasons for that. However, Dr. Jayathilak has changed a lot since then and in some ways, he hasn't changed much."

Prashanth also discussed his interactions with Dr. Jayathilak after his probation. "I did not have any difficult personal confrontations with him initially, possibly because we didn't work together closely after that. Later, when I was posted to the SC/ST Department, tensions began to rise, especially during the time when Minister K. Radhakrishnan was campaigning for elections. At that point, I approached Dr. Jayathilak directly to ask about the issues at hand," Prashanth explained.

“Professional ego was encroaching on personal space and it had started to affect the work atmosphere. I reacted when he began to undermine our work environment. Later, when I moved to the Agriculture Department, Dr. Jayathilak continued to harass me," Prashanth added.

When asked about the possibility of Dr. Jayathilak becoming the next Chief Secretary, Prashanth was unshaken. "If I was worried about it, wouldn't I have stayed silent like everyone else? In the past, during my probation, Dr. Jayathilak had asked me for a report but he wanted me to submit a negative one. I refused to comply, even though it was crucial for my probation. The fear that didn’t exist back then doesn't exist now either."