IAS officers’ body seeks action against Karnataka BJP MLC for remarks against Chief Secretary

Bengaluru: The IAS Officers’ Association of Karnataka has formally petitioned Chief Minister Siddaramaiah seeking action against BJP MLC N Ravikumar for his remarks about Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh.

The association alleged that Ravikumar’s remarks about the Chief Secretary constituted an ‘attack on the dignity of the state’s highest civil office’, and pressed for legal action against the BJP MLC, besides demanding an unconditional apology. The association also demanded a ‘formal resolution of censure’ against Ravikumar in the Legislative Council.

A delegation of senior IAS officers – additional Chief Secretary (Energy and Water Resources) Gaurav Gupta, KPTCL Managing Director Pankaj Kumar Pandey, KSSIDC MD Khushboo Goel Chowdhary, and Secretary to the Government Cauvery B B – submitted a letter of condemnation on behalf of the association to the CM.

Ravikumar’s remarks against the Chief Secretary were in keeping with the MLC’s ‘disturbing pattern of behaviour’, opined the association, pointing to the saffron party’s disparaging remarks against Kalaburagi Deputy Commissioner Fouzia Taranum a few weeks ago. The association, expressing solidarity with both Shalini and Fouzia, sought protection for civil servants from political intimidation.

However, Karnataka BJP president Vijayendra questioned the association’s silence on incidents involving Siddaramaiah himself. Reminding the association about an incident where the CM allegedly attempted to slap a senior police officer at a public event in Belagavi, Vijayendra asked, “What was the association doing then? There was another incident at a government event wherein Siddaramaiah told a Deputy Commissioner ‘Hey, get up’. The association must seek answers to these incidents as well. The people are watching everything.”

Speak thoughtfully, DVS tells leaders

Former Chief Minister and senior BJP leader D V Sadananda Gowda, while not weighing in on the controversy itself, emphasised the need for those in positions of power to speak more responsibly.

Regretting that BJP leaders often spoke without being mindful of the consequences of their words, Gowda said, “Our (BJP’s) elected representatives need to learn to speak more thoughtfully. This has landed the party in embarrassing situations twice or thrice recently.”