Palakkad collector, who tried to restrain Mohan Bhagwat from hoisting national flag, transferred

Amid the controversy over RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat hoisting the national flag at a school in Palakkad on Independence Day, the district collector who had issued the order to restrain him from doing so has been transferred.

Palakkad collector P Marykutty has been transferred and appointed as the panchayat director. A decision in this regard was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday. 

Also read: Kerala flag hoisting controversy: Pinarayi should not have underestimated Mohan Bhagwat

RSS chief Bhagwat had unfurled the national flag at the Karnakayamman High School in Moothanthara on Tuesday, defying an order from collector Marykutty. The order had stated that only elected representatives, school authorities or government officials can hoist the tricolour at the government-aided institution. The collector later said the administration will take action in the matter and instructed the police to file a case. 

In a reshuffle of IAS officers, the Kerala government appointed five new district collectors on Wednesday in what it described as a "routine" process. Apart from Palakkad, the district collectors of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kottayam and Alappuzha have also been transferred. 

Also read: RSS justifies Bhagwat hoisting national flag, slams Kerala government [Video]

While Dr K Vasuki, Suchitwa Mission's executive director, was appointed the Thiruvananthapuram collector, fisheries director Dr S Karthikeyan will be the new Kollam collector. Marketfed managing director Suresh Babu is the new collector of Palakkad, a government press release said. 

Director of social justice TV Anupama will be the new collector of Alappuzha, while food safety commissioner Navajot Khosa of Kottayam, it added. 

Venkateshpathy, who was Thiruvananthapuram collector, has been appointed fisheries director and will also have the additional charge of lotteries director. Former Kollam collector T Mitra has been appointed Suchitwa mission executive director. Veena N Madhavan will be the news director of social justice, the release added.

• Mohan Bhagwat
• RSS
• P Marykutty