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Karnataka officer suspended for attending RSS event; BJP calls it an ‘assault on patriotic sentiments’
Praveen Kumar KP, posted in Sirawar Taluk Panchayat, was found attending an RSS event dressed in the organisation’s traditional attire.
A Panchayat Development Officer (PDO) in Karnataka’s Raichur district was reportedly suspended for participating in an event of the BJP's ideological parent Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
The action comes after Karnataka’s rural development and panchayat raj minister Priyank Kharge wrote to chief minister Siddaramaiah, seeking disciplinary measures against government employees associated with the RSS or taking part in its programmes.
Earlier this week, the state cabinet decided to prohibit the activities of private organisations, including the RSS, in government and government-aided schools, colleges, and public spaces.
According to news agency PTI, Praveen Kumar KP, posted in Sirawar Taluk Panchayat, was suspended after he was found attending an RSS event dressed in the organisation’s traditional attire.
Violation of conduct rules, says government order
He participated in a route march organised by the RSS in Lingsugur on October 12, according to a report in NDTV.
The suspension order, issued by IAS officer Arundhati Chandrashekar, stated that Praveen Kumar’s participation violated Rule 3 of the Karnataka Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 2021, which requires government employees to maintain political neutrality and integrity, the news channel reported.
The purported order added that his conduct was “inconsistent with the standards expected from a public servant.” A departmental inquiry has been ordered, and the officer will remain under suspension with subsistence allowance until further notice.
BJP calls move ‘anti-Hindu’
The suspension has drawn sharp criticism from the opposition BJP. Karnataka BJP chief Vijayendra Yediyurappa accused the Congress of targeting Hindu organisations.
He said, “This is nothing but a perverse and anti-Hindu mindset of the @INCKarnataka party, driven by malice. You have started misusing the government machinery, and we too know the strategy to bring it back on track.”
“This vindictive suspension must be immediately revoked with an apology, or else an appropriate response will be given through constitutional means within the democratic system to counter this divisive politics,” the Karnataka BJP president said.
He added that the incident marks the “beginning of an assault on patriotic sentiments using the government machinery.”
