Raichur: The Karnataka Panchayat Raj Department has placed under suspension Praveen Kumar KP, Panchayat Development Officer of Sirwar taluk, following reports that he participated in an RSS parade during the RAS centenary celebrations in Lingasugur on October 12, 2025, while wearing the organization’s uniform and carrying the stick.
Praveen Kumar is presently posted as the Personal Secretary of MLA Manappa D. Vajjal.
The action comes after multiple official communications as well as media reports, indicated that Praveen Kumar had engaged in conduct unbecoming of a government official.
The department noted that as per the Karnataka Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 2021, all government employees must maintain complete ethical integrity, refrain from political involvement, and avoid any activity that could influence their official duties. Participation in the RSS parade in uniform was found to contravene these provisions, thereby violating the code of conduct expected of civil servants.
The order from the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department ordered that departmental inquiry proceedings be initiated and Praveen Kumar be immediately suspended from service under the Karnataka Civil Services (Classification, Control, and Appeal) Rules, 1957, Rule 10(1)(d).
BJP state president BY Vijayendra stated that this is nothing but a manifestation of the Congress party’s biased, anti-Hindu mindset.
“You have begun misusing government machinery, and we know the ways to hold that accountable. The suspension of this officer must be immediately revoked and an apology sought, or else appropriate constitutional and democratic action will follow,” he warned in a post on X.
He further alleged that Congress, which historically spread politics of hatred and threatened the democratic process, is now continuing the same path in Karnataka. History, he said, bears witness to the fact that such politics of hatred and misuse of authority ultimately fail and are rejected by the people.
Strongly expressing his unhappiness Bijapur City MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal said that the vindictive politics of targeting RSS deserves the harshest condemnation.
“Extrapolating their own logic, it should also suspend leaders who supported anti-India forces, PFI and SDPI and those who wrote letters to the government to drop charges against the perpetrators of DJ Halli & KG Halli violence. If they can’t act against them, they should apologize to Karnataka and revoke the PDO’s suspension,” he stated.
Chief Whip of opposition party in Legislative Council N. Ravikumar, has urged that the state government immediately revoke the suspension of the Panchayat Development Officer (PDO), failing which, he warned, they would intensify their fight against the government.