Karnataka’s government has suspended a contract-based cook’s assistant, identified as Pramod, from the Pre-Matric Boys’ Hostel in Basavakalyan for taking part in a parade organised by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, reinforcing the state administration’s enforcement of civil-service conduct rules. The employee allegedly joined the “Path Sanchalan” march in Basavakalyan while in RSS uniform, prompting the local tahsildar to issue a gate pass and relieve him from duty.
The action comes amid heightened scrutiny of government employees’ participation in events organised by ideological bodies. The suspension order cited the Karnataka Civil Services Rules, 2021, which prohibit state employees from being members of or associating with organisations that engage in political activity or public ideological movements. The hostel in question is run by the department for Backward Classes Welfare in Basavakalyan taluk, Bidar district.
This case follows the earlier suspension of a Panchayat Development Officer from Raichur district, who attended an RSS centenary event wearing the organisation’s uniform and carrying a staff. The officer’s conduct was deemed to violate the same service rules.
State IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge reiterated that central government relaxations on rules do not apply to the Karnataka state cadre. He indicated that state-service regulations continue to bar employees from taking part in RSS activities and that disciplinary action will follow violations. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has also stated that no organisation should “disturb people in public places”, reinforcing the stance that government premises are to remain neutral.
Officials in Basavakalyan estimate that more than 20 government staffers—from teachers to hostel workers—attended the RSS march. Some were reportedly pictured in uniform, suggesting participation beyond the cook’s assistant role. The disciplinary order specifically noted that “permanent/external resource staff who are getting a salary from the government are prohibited from participating in any organisations as per the law”.
Opposition voices have criticised the suspension. A leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka asserted that several high-court judgments uphold government servants’ right to attend RSS programmes, calling the action “illegal and unlawful”. The party has pledged support for the suspended employee in legal challenges.
From the government’s perspective, the move underscores growing efforts to enforce service rules and restrict ideological organisation activities in state-run institutions. The cabinet recently approved measures barring non-governmental organisations from using government schools and colleges as venues, as part of broader attempts to ensure neutrality of public-funded spaces.
Legal observers note that the clash centres on whether central government orders that relax bans on RSS affiliation apply to state-service rules. The central government lifted a ban on participation in RSS programmes for government servants by amending rules in 2024; however, Karnataka maintains that its civil-service rules remain unaffected.
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