K'taka govt to snub bureaucrats with RSS affiliations: Sources

Bengaluru, May 29 (IANS) The Congress government in Karnataka is all set to identify and snub bureaucrats affiliated to the RSS, according to sources.

The sources said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D.K. Shivakumar have got the list of officers in various departments, who have close ties with the RSS and enjoyed the backing of the previous BJP government.

Shivakumar had openly warned the police department on saffronisation and gave clear instructions on strictly adhering to the rule book.

The state government has also received a clear-cut instruction from the Congress High Command ito get rid of RSS sympathisers from the bureaucracy, the sources added.

One of the major targets is the Home Department through which the BJP had carried out its Hindutva agenda and attacked the opposition, mainly Congress leaders.

Shivakumar has demanded the arrest of former state DGP Praveen Sood for allowing the setting up of a facade in the name of Nanje Gowda and Uri Gowda, both historical figures.

Hindu activists had also claimed that they killed Tipu Sultan, the ruler of erstwhile Mysuru State.

"During the visit of Prime Minister Modi to Karnataka to dedicate the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway, Sood had allowed distortion of history by allowing a facade to be named after Nanje Gowda and Uri Gowda. A case should be lodged against him and he has to be arrested," Shivakumar had said.

"This DGP is nalayak (useless). He had heeded to the demands of the government. Immediately, a case should be registered against him. The Election Commission of India should transfer him to a different place. He was there in the post for three years. Why is he still there?" he queried of Sood who has now taken over as the CBI Director.

The top officers in the state's education department who carried out textbook revision, those in higher education department who facilitated the National Education Policy (NEP), those in finance, urban development, BBMP, BDA and lucrative posts who were appointed on the recommendation of RSS and Sangh Parivar would be transferred within no time, sources explained.

The Congress party sources further explained that the bureaucrats and officers cannot be trusted as the government is all set to introduce many new schemes and its policy on moral policing and other communal matters goes against the previous BJP government.