Mangaluru: A Facebook post by Raj Shivappa, a police constable attached to Belthangady police station, questioning the chief minister Siddaramaiah’s secular credentials, has led to his suspension and disciplinary proceedings were initiated against him. Irked by the post, local Congress leaders led by Abhinandan on Wednesday lodged a complaint with local police.

The FB post uses two pictures to take a dig at Siddaramaiah’s avowed public policy of being secular. The second post with a set of three pictures refer to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Dharmasthala and Siddaramaiah enjoying a fish meal prior to his visit to Dharmasthala on October 22. The post also hails Modi, who according to Shivappa, followed Hindu traditions in visiting the presiding deity at Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala after observing a fast and offering prayers.

All this was provocation enough for local Youth Congress leaders who promptly lodged a complaint and the police registered a case. A departmental inquiry ordered against Shivappa, said SP Sudheer Kumar Reddy.

A graduate of Karnatak University, Dharwad, Shivappa joined the Karnataka State Police as a constable six years ago and was posted to the Dakshina Kannada district police unit. A resident of Bagalkot, he has worked at the Belthangady police station for the past five years. His views on social media, especially Facebook, indicate his right-wing leanings.