A Panchayat Development Officer from Karnataka’s Raichur district has been suspended after he attended an event organised by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological parent body of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The action came soon after Karnataka’s rural development and panchayat raj minister Priyank Kharge wrote to chief minister Siddaramaiah, calling for disciplinary action against government officials who are associated with or take part in RSS programmes.

Earlier this week, the state cabinet decided to ban the activities of private organisations, including the RSS, inside government and government aided schools, colleges, and public places.

According to reports from PTI, Praveen Kumar KP, who was posted at the Sirawar Taluk Panchayat, was suspended after being seen at an RSS event wearing the organisation’s traditional attire. The event was a route march held in Lingsugur on October 12, as reported by NDTV.

The suspension order issued by IAS officer Arundhati Chandrashekar mentioned that Praveen Kumar’s actions went against Rule 3 of the Karnataka Civil Services Conduct Rules 2021, which requires all government employees to maintain political neutrality and integrity.

The order further noted that his behaviour was “inconsistent with the standards expected from a public servant.” A departmental inquiry has been launched, and he will remain under suspension with subsistence allowance until further notice.

The decision has sparked criticism from the opposition BJP. Karnataka BJP president Vijayendra Yediyurappa accused the Congress government of showing bias against 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.”

He further added, “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.”

Yediyurappa said that this move marks the “beginning of an assault on patriotic sentiments using the government machinery.”