States » SouthPosted at: Nov 14 2026 9:20PM


Cong orders review of board appointments over RSS links

Bengaluru, Nov 14 (UNI) The appointment of people with alleged Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) links to Karnataka government-run boards and corporations has triggered an embarrassment for the ruling Congress, prompting the party leadership to order a review and warn that such appointees must resign or face removal.
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president BK Hariprasad on Saturday acknowledged complaints over the inclusion of people with RSS and BJP backgrounds in the appointments and said the government was examining their credentials to identify and correct any lapses.
"Some were appointed on the recommendation of MLAs. We have now appointed around 400 people. One or two mistakes may have happened. It is not a big issue; we will correct it," he told reporters.
Making it clear that those found to have RSS links would not be allowed to continue, Hariprasad said they should either resign voluntarily or face withdrawal of their appointments.
"We are investigating who all have an RSS background. We have already given directions to some people," he said.
The controversy gained momentum after the appointment of former BJP Chitradurga city president Leeladhar Thakur as a director of the Karnataka Silk Development Corporation. Thakur reportedly said he would decline the position while maintaining his ideological commitment to the RSS and BJP.
Objections were also raised over other appointments, including those involving individuals allegedly linked to the RSS and a drugs-related case, triggering resentment among sections of the Congress cadre.
The government had recently nominated 428 directors and members to various boards and corporations, with the appointments intended to accommodate party workers and leaders who had been waiting for political positions.
The latest controversy has, however, raised questions within the Congress over the screening process and the recommendations made by legislators and party functionaries.
Hariprasad said two more lists of appointments to boards and corporations would be ready in the next couple of days, indicating that the exercise was still under way even as the party sought to address the complaints.
The episode has brought into focus the challenge before the Congress government of balancing political accommodation with ideological consistency while making appointments to government-controlled institutions.
UNI BDN
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