A 2012 batch IAS officer from Kerala, Kannan Gopinathan, has resigned from service stating that he was disturbed over the curbs in Jammu and Kashmir and also lost his own voice.

Gopinathan said there was denial of "fundamental rights" to lakhs of people in Jammu and Kashmir for weeks after the state lost its special status earlier this month.

Kannan Gopinathan submitted his resignation to the Dadra and Nagar Haveli administration on Wednesday. He was posted in the Union Territory as the power and non-conventional energy secretary.

Gopinathan made headlines last year when he participated in relief and rescue operations in the devastating Kerala floods in August 2018.

Gopinathan sent his resignation letter to the Centre on Friday saying, "I joined civil service with the hope that I can be the voice of those who have been silenced. But here, I lost my own voice."

The AGMUT cadre IAS officer, Gopinathan had tweeted on August 20: "I once thought being in civil services meant an opportunity to expand the rights and freedoms of fellow citizens!

"In [Jammu and] Kashmir, fundamental rights of lakhs of people have been suspended for 20 days. And many in India seem to be okay with it. This is happening in India in 2019. Article 370 or its abrogation is not the issue, but denying citizens their right to respond to it is the main issue. They could welcome the move or protest it, that's their right," Gopinathan said.

He said the issue "disturbed" him enough to resign.

Gopinathan was said to be unhappy with the style of functioning of the current administration, however, he did not give any concrete reason for this.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections too, Gopinathan had complained to the Election Commission about senior officials of the current UT administration. He alleged that officials were trying to influence the election. After this, he was removed from the post of Silvassa Collector and given the responsibility of a department that held lesser importance.

In his July 31 reply to the Ministry of Home Affairs memo, served on him on July 8, he refuted the charges of insubordination, dereliction of duty and dilatory tactics.