Karnataka CM Siddarmiah defends deployment of IAS officers for opposition meet

Former Karnataka Chief Minister and JD (S) leader HD Kumaraswamy pulled up the Congress government in the state for violating the All India Services (Conduct) Rules by deputing the officers to serve its alliance leaders, he wrote on Twitter, “This is clear violation of All India Services (Conduct) Rules. I was surprised and shocked that officials agreed to do this job knowing that it would dent their self-respect and honour. The Chief Secretary who issued such a controversial order is answerable to the people,”

Senior BJP leader Basavraj Bommai also slammed the Karnataka government on Wednesday, saying that while these conclaves were new to Bengaluru, the huge expenditure and deputation of senior IAS officers was not justified. He also argued that the deployment of IAS officers to escort opposition leaders and former chief ministers was shameful.

However, CM Siddaramaiah states that since the officials were only used for welcoming the dignitaries and not for political programmes there was no violation of protocol. 

“As the Chief Ministers of various states and former Union Ministers who arrived in Bengaluru were considered as state guests and according to protocol, officials were assigned only to welcome all those visiting dignitaries,” Siddaramiah noted.

The meeting of 26 opposition parties was held in Bengaluru, Karnataka, on 17 and 18 July, where a new name for the new alliance was worked out. The group is now called INDIA, an acronym for Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance. The like-minded parties are likely to hold a third meeting in Mumbai and decide on the face of the grand opposition alliance.

(With inputs from agencies)

Updated: 19 Jul 2023, 07:01 AM IST