Yadgir: Two government school teachers in Yadgir district have been suspended for allegedly participating in Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) processions, officials said.
The suspended teachers have been identified as Gururaj Joshi, a teacher at the Government Girls’ High School in Hunasagi, and Anna Saheb Deshmukh, a teacher at the Government Lower Primary School in Kuppi.
According to the education department, Deshmukh had participated in an RSS procession organised in Hunasagi on October 10 last year, while Joshi had taken part in an RSS procession held in Vijayapura district’s Talikoti on October 12.
The teachers were suspended for allegedly violating provisions of the Karnataka Civil Services Rules. The action was taken following an inquiry initiated based on a complaint filed by Jummanna Gudimani, Yadgir district president of the Ambedkar Swabhimani Sene.
The Deputy Director of Public Instruction (DDPI) of the Yadgir School Education Department issued the suspension orders after the inquiry found the teachers had allegedly violated service rules by participating in the RSS programmes.
The development comes amid a wider political and administrative debate in Karnataka over government employees participating in activities associated with political or socio-political organisations. The education department has maintained that government employees are required to comply with service conduct rules governing their participation in such activities.
The department’s action has also triggered discussion over the applicability of service rules to government employees participating in RSS programmes, particularly in the context of recent political exchanges over the organisation.
Further details regarding the inquiry findings and the specific provisions of the Karnataka Civil Services Rules cited in the suspension orders are expected to emerge as the matter progresses.
Follow on Twitter | Edited by Neha Khan | 
