Karnataka: Siddaramaiah reappoints slain BJP leader's wife on 'humanitarian' grounds

Bengaluru: A day after the wife of slain Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) leader Praveen Nettaru was terminated, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said, Nutan Kumar will be reappointed to her job on "humanitarian" grounds.

Nettaru was killed with sharp weapons, as part of PFI's agenda to strike terror among members of one community and create communal hatred and unrest in the society with the aim of furthering its goal of establishing Islamic Rule in India by 2047.

"After a new government comes in, it is a natural process to dismiss the temporary employees who were appointed by the previous government from the government service. Not only Praveen Nettaru's wife but more than 150 contract workers have already been dismissed from service. There is no government interference in this," CM Siddaramaiah tweeted.

"Considering this as a special case, the Nutan will be re-appointed on the basis of humanity," he tweeted.

Earlier, the state government job of Nutan was terminated with the government ordering to cancel all the recruitments carried out on a contract basis by the previous regime.

With the BJP condemning the decision, Congress has clarified its move saying she was one among those whose job had been terminated in the natural course since she was taken on a contract basis for the tenure of the BJP government led by Basavaraj Bommai in Chief Minister's Office.

"Due to the communal hatred of PFI, a terrorist organisation nurtured by the Congress party has removed the wife of Praveen Nettaru from service. Our government had provided the job of DC of Mangalore to the wife of Praveen Nettaru, who was killed by the PFI goons. It is condemnable," BJP said in a tweet.

Nutan lost her job as the Congress government ordered to suspend all the previous government's recruitment on a contract basis.

Notably, a notification issued on September 29, 2022, stated that Nutan Kumari M, wife of Praveen, has been hired for a 'Group C' post in the Chief Minister's Office on a contract basis.

The notification of her recruitment claimed that she would be in service until either Basavraj Bommai continues to be the Chief Minister or any new order related to her job is issued.

The murder of Praveen Nettaru, which took place on July 26 last year in Bellare village of Sullia Taluk in Dakshina Kannada district, had sent shock waves in the state.

The initial chargesheet was filed by the NIA on January 20 this year. The NIA had then stated that the PFI had formed secret 'hit squads', 'Service Teams' or 'Killer Squads' to kill its 'perceived enemies' and targets. (