Priyank Kharge Supports Suspension Of Karnataka Teachers Over RSS March Participation
Priyank Kharge supports action against teachers who joined RSS march.
Karnataka Home, IT and BT Minister Priyank Kharge has backed the suspension of two government school teachers in Yadgir district over their alleged participation in a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) route march. Kharge maintained that the Education Department was within its authority to initiate disciplinary action if it determined that the teachers’ participation warranted proceedings under applicable service rules.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru on Friday, Kharge said the decision rested with the Education Department. He questioned why government employees should participate in programmes organised by an organisation he described as unregistered. His remarks came after the department suspended two teachers nearly 10 months after they allegedly took part in an RSS route march held on October 10, 2025.
The suspended teachers have been identified as Annasaheb Deshmukh, headmaster of the Government Junior Primary School in Kuppi, Surapura, and Gururaja Joshi, a teacher at the Government Girls Higher Primary School in Hunasagi, also in Surapura taluk. The suspension order was issued by the Deputy Director of the Department of School Education in Yadgir following proceedings related to their alleged participation.
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According to the order, the action followed a complaint filed by Jummanna Gudimani, Yadgir district president of the Ambedkar Swabhimani Sene. The teachers were initially issued notices seeking explanations regarding their participation in the programme. After considering their responses and subsequent proceedings, the Education Department proceeded with the suspension orders.
The department cited government service rules stating that government employees should not be members of political parties or organisations that directly or indirectly participate in political activities. The order alleged that the teachers’ participation in the RSS route march violated applicable service rules and also referred to an alleged lapse in their official duties.
The suspensions have triggered a political debate over the participation of government employees in activities linked to organisations with political associations. Kharge defended the department’s action, reiterating that disciplinary proceedings should be determined by the concerned department based on service rules and the circumstances of each case. The development has also renewed political attention on Kharge’s past criticism of the RSS and his calls for greater scrutiny of the organisation.
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