Tribunal Stays Suspension of Karnataka Teachers Who Joined RSS March
Karnataka tribunal stays suspension of two teachers who took part in RSS foot marches, offering them interim relief.
In a significant interim relief, the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal in Kalaburagi has stayed the suspension orders issued against two government school teachers for their participation in foot marches organised by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
The teachers, Gururaj Joshi and Anna Saheb Deshmukh, are attached to schools in the Hunasagi taluk of Yadgir district. The School Education Department had suspended them in August, arguing that their participation violated the Karnataka Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 2021.
The suspension orders, issued by Yadgir Deputy Director of School Education Channabasappa Mudhol, stated that the teachers' involvement in the RSS Patha Sanchalana (route marches) constituted dereliction of duty and breach of service conduct rules.
Joshi was reported to have participated in a march at Talikoti in Vijayapura district on October 12, while Deshmukh was accused of attending a similar event at Hunasagi on October 10. Both teachers have contended that the programmes were cultural in nature, not political, and were held outside working hours.
After hearing their appeal, the tribunal has now put a freeze on the suspension orders, allowing the teachers to contest the matter further. This development offers them a chance to argue their case before the tribunal in subsequent hearings.