Mangaluru: Former Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) Anupama Shenoy has questioned the suspension of two government school teachers for allegedly participating in an RSS route march, while claiming that no similar action has been taken against Chief Minister D K Shivakumar despite his alleged association with RSS-related activities.
Speaking at the Mangaluru Press Club on September 10, Shenoy questioned what she described as a disparity in the action taken against government employees and political leaders in connection with activities associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Shenoy questions alleged double standards
Shenoy said Shivakumar had sung the RSS song Namaste Sada Vatsale in the legislative assembly and had also received a rakhi from RSS workers. She questioned why government employees were facing disciplinary action while no action had allegedly been initiated against the Deputy Chief Minister.
“D K Shivakumar is behaving like a close friend of the RSS, but government employees are the ones facing action,” she said.
Her remarks came in the backdrop of the suspension of two government school teachers from Yadgir, who were allegedly involved in an RSS route march last year.
Shenoy said the action against the teachers raised questions about the manner in which government employees are being treated for their alleged participation in activities linked to the organisation.
Appeal to RSS workers to support teachers
Referring to the suspended teachers, Shenoy appealed to RSS workers to raise their voice in support of them.
She said the issue should not be viewed merely as a disciplinary matter concerning two government employees but should also be examined in the context of the organisation and the rules governing the participation of government servants in activities associated with it.
Shenoy questioned whether the lack of legal registration of the RSS was contributing to what she described as an injustice to government employees.
She also questioned the silence of Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge on the matter and sought greater clarity over the government’s position on the issue.
Calls for registration of RSS
Shenoy also made a proposal concerning the legal status of the RSS. She said that if the organisation was willing, she was prepared to work towards its registration.
“If the organisation agrees, I am ready to work towards registering the RSS,” she said.
Her statement comes amid a wider debate over the participation of government employees in activities associated with organisations and the disciplinary action that can follow such participation.
The issue has also generated discussion over the distinction between an employee’s personal activities and restrictions applicable to government servants while in service.
Suspension of Yadgir teachers sparks debate
The suspension of the two teachers from Yadgir has become the immediate backdrop to Shenoy’s comments. According to her, the teachers allegedly participated in an RSS route march last year, following which disciplinary action was taken against them.
Shenoy argued that the action needed to be viewed alongside the public activities of political leaders who have been associated, directly or indirectly, with the RSS.
She questioned whether the same standards were being applied consistently and sought accountability from those in authority.
Her remarks have added another dimension to the ongoing debate over the participation of government employees in activities linked to the RSS and the rules governing such participation.
Political and administrative implications
The issue touches upon the broader question of how government service regulations are interpreted when employees participate in activities associated with social, cultural or ideological organisations.
Shenoy specifically sought to draw a comparison between the action taken against the Yadgir teachers and the alleged RSS-related activities of Shivakumar. She argued that government employees should not be singled out if similar activities by prominent political figures do not attract comparable scrutiny.
At the Press Club, she also urged RSS workers to support the suspended teachers and called for a discussion on the organisation’s legal status.
Her proposal to work towards registration of the RSS, if the organisation agrees, further widened the scope of her remarks from the specific disciplinary action against the teachers to broader legal and administrative questions surrounding the organisation.
The controversy is likely to continue to attract attention as questions remain over the disciplinary proceedings against the teachers and the government’s position on participation by government employees in RSS-related activities.