Protocol breach alleged during Vice-President Radhakrishnan’s visit to Suttur Mutt in Mysuru

Mysuru: There seems to be a violation in the protocol during the visit of Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan to Suttur Mutt in Mysuru, last Sunday.

The Vice-President of India, who is second only to the President, as per the ‘Table of Precedence’, issued by the President’s Secretariat, posed for a group photo with the seers of Veerashaiva Lingayat Mutts of Mysuru and Chamarajanagar districts at the Mysuru branch of Suttur Mutt, at the foot of Chamundi Hill, in Mysuru, on Sunday.

In the photograph, the seer of the Suttur Mutt Shivaratri Deshikendra Swami is positioned at the Centre, flanked by Radhakrishnan and Governor of Karnataka Thawar Chand Gehlot. As per Article 63 of the Constitution, the Vice-President of India is the second highest Constitutional office.

“The Vice President of India being the second-highest Constitutional office, Radhakrishnan should have been positioned at the centre, as per protocol. But, it is not the fault of the organisers, the religious institution, as they would not know about either the Table of Precedence or the protocol,” said retired police officer K C Venkatarao (KCV) Mane.

Mane, who served as Chief Security Officer (CSO) and later aide-de-camp (ADC) to the Governor of Karnataka, said, the CSO or ADC, accompanying the Governor, or the Vice-President’s staff should have taken an initiative, to follow the protocol, in letter and spirit. “They could have told the Mutt authorities, to position the seat for the Vice-President at the centre,” Mane said.

Mane said, even though the photograph of the Vice-President is with a private group, his position is round the clock, till his term ends, as it is a Constitutional office. “The protocols should be followed for all events, irrespective of whether public or private gathering,” he said.