BENGALURU: K Govindaraju, a close aide of Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, has been relieved of his duties as political secretary with immediate effect, the state government said in a notification issued on Friday.
The move comes on a day when Govindaraju was forced to publicly deny media reports suggesting he had advised the chief minister against holding a victory parade for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) players from the airport to Vidhana Soudha.
Dismissing the reports as “baseless”, Govindaraju said, “My words were misinterpreted. Who am I to advise the chief minister on this matter?”
He also distanced himself from the controversy, stating, “I would be the last person to advise anything on cricket, since I head the Karnataka Olympic Association.”
His clarification came in the wake of sharp public criticism over the organisation of the IPL celebration event in Bengaluru, during which a stampede killed 11 people and injured dozens more.
Govindaraju had held the post since the Congress government came to power in the state. The government did not cite a reason for his removal.
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