‘What major fault committed?’: Kumaraswamy slams suspension of teachers over RSS march

Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy Friday criticised the Karnataka School Education Department for suspending two government teachers for allegedly participating in Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) route marches. “What is the major fault they have committed by attending the RSS march?” Kumaraswamy asked.

He questioned whether their participation had resulted in any damage, violence or disruption in Karnataka. The suspension orders were issued by Yadgir Deputy Director of School Education Channabasappa Mudhol on August 20.

The suspended teachers are Gururaj Joshi, an assistant teacher at Government Girls’ High School in Hunasagi, and Anna Saheb Deshmukh, head teacher at Government Lower Primary School in Kuppi village of Surpur taluk. According to the departmental orders, Joshi and Deshmukh participated in RSS Path Sanchalan events held in Talikote in neighbouring Vijayapura district and Hunasagi in Yadgir district on October 10 and 12, 2025, respectively.

The department said their participation violated Rules 3(1), 3(2), 3(3), 5 and 7 of the Karnataka Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 2021. The orders cited the teachers’ conduct as “dereliction of duty” that warranted disciplinary action.

Last year, Jummanna Gudimani, Yadgir district president of the Ambedkar Swabhimani Sene, had sought disciplinary action against the teachers and brought their alleged participation in the RSS events to the government’s notice.

According to sources, the two teachers received show-cause notices in March 2026 following the complaint. In their written explanations, the teachers maintained that they participated in the march outside school working hours and were not on duty at the time.

However, sources said the department found their explanations unsatisfactory.