Bengaluru, October 30, 2025: The Karnataka State Administrative Tribunal (KSAT) has stayed the suspension of Praveen Kumar K.P., a Panchayat Development Officer (PDO) from Raichur district, who was earlier suspended for participating in a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) centenary event earlier this month.
The case had triggered a sharp political exchange between the ruling Congress and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Kumar, posted in Sirwar taluk, had joined an RSS route march (Pathasanchalan) in Lingsugur on October 12, 2025, dressed in the organisation’s uniform and carrying a stick.
Following the event, the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) Department suspended Kumar, citing violation of Rule 3 of the Karnataka Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 2021, which requires government employees to maintain political neutrality and uphold the standards of public service.
The suspension order, issued by IAS officer Arundhati Chandrashekar, described Kumar’s participation as “inconsistent with the standards expected of a public servant.” He was placed under suspension with subsistence allowance pending further inquiry.
Reacting to the development, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya strongly criticised the decision, terming it “illegal and unlawful.” In a social media post, Surya said he had personally spoken to the officer and would appear before the tribunal and courts to challenge what he called an “arbitrary suspension,” referring to previous judgments that permitted government servants to attend RSS programmes.
Confirming the tribunal’s decision on October 30, Surya announced, “My law office had challenged the arbitrary suspension of PDO Praveen Kumar for participating in the RSS Pathasanchalana in Lingasugur, Raichur, before the Hon’ble Karnataka State Administrative Tribunal. KSAT has today stayed the suspension order, which was mechanically passed under political pressure. This should serve as a reminder to the Congress government that no amount of intimidation can deter the nation-building ideals of the RSS.”
The KSAT’s stay order has temporarily reinstated Kumar, pending further proceedings in the matter.
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