CM's political secy dismissed, ADGP intel shunted out

A day after the suspension of top police officers in connection with the June 4 stampede at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium, the Karnataka government on Friday dismissed MLC K Govindaraj from the post of political secretary to chief minister Siddaramaiah.

- Arun Dev

BENGALURU: The decision, though not officially linked to the incident, appears to be part of a broader damage control exercise by the government.

An official notification issued by the chief minister's office (CMO) said, "The appointment of K Govindaraj as political secretary to the chief minister is hereby revoked with immediate effect." Govindaraj, a key political aide to Siddaramaiah and a prominent figure in Karnataka's sports circles, was closely associated with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) victory celebrations that ended in tragedy, with 11 people dead and over 50 injured in a stampede outside the stadium.

Although the government has not publicly cited reasons for the move, officials suggest that the decision followed growing criticism of Govindaraj's involvement in the event and the surfacing of a letter he wrote on June 4. In the letter, addressed to government departments, Govindaraj had requested "arrangements for a big celebration for the RCB team in Bengaluru on Tuesday." The letter has reportedly caused embarrassment to the CMO.

Earlier in the day, Govindaraj distanced himself from the controversy, denying reports that he had advised the chief minister against a full-fledged victory parade from the airport to Vidhana Soudha. "Who am I to advise the chief minister?" he said, adding, "I would be the last person to advise anything on cricket, since I head the Karnataka Olympic Association."

A sports administrator and the current president of the Karnataka Olympic Association, Govindaraj's sacking follows closely on the heels of the abrupt resignation of LK Atheeq, the additional chief secretary to the CM, earlier this week. Both exits have further fuelled speculation that the government is struggling to contain the fallout from the deadly crowd surge.