Karnataka teacher suspended for ‘questioning’ Union min about fertiliser supply

Khuba had received a call from Patil, who questioned the lack of availability of fertilisers, to which the minister is heard saying he can’t do anything about it.

A school teacher from Karnataka was suspended by the state education department on Sunday for allegedly questioning the Union minister of state for chemicals and fertilisers Bhagwanth Khuba about the supply of fertilisers.

Patil said that he was punished for asking for fertilizers, as he hails from an agriculture family and had faced trouble last season which made him ask the minister. (REUTERS)

The action was taken against teacher Kushal Patil of Hedapura village in Bidar district, after the audio clip in which the questioning was recorded had gone viral on social media.

Khuba had received a call from Patil, who questioned the lack of availability of fertilisers, to which the minister is heard saying he can’t do anything about it.

According to the audio clip, the minister also said that he had already sent fertiliser to the states and asked Patil to approach the local MLA.

The conversation then heats up as Patil dares the minister to seek votes from his village and says that the politician will not get elected again from the Bidar Lok Sabha constituency.

“I am the minister under the Government of India and take care of the states. You should go to your MLA and officers,” he is heard saying.An inquiry was initiated and a preliminary report was submitted by the local block education officer. Based on this, the teacher was suspended over “irresponsibility and misconduct by intentionally recording the telephonic conversation and making it viral on social media platforms”. Patil told ANI that he was punished for asking for fertilizers, as he hails from an agriculture family and had faced trouble last season which made him ask the minister.

The teacher said he received the suspension letter dated June 17 on Saturday.